Fences and Families
by mcj
Summary: A series of short Stories about the Tracy family, devised on the concept of image writing. STORY TWO CHAPTER 1
1. PROLOGUE STORY ONE

_Author's note – I hope you enjoy this new series of short stories about the Tracy family. At the beginning of each chapter you will read the definition of two words:_– _A Fence - and then – a family. The story that follows I hope will meet that definition. Thanks to my two international friends lady Viva and Yvette who have helped me with definitions of these two words from their own countries (the USA and England). "Write from your heart and there you will see your soul" …. Cheers mcj

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**FENCES AND FAMILIES**

" A selection of short stories by mcj based on the concepts of image writing"

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Standard disclaimer: – Thank you to Gerry Andersen for allowing me to use and develop your wonderful characters. They are yours and only yours and writing about them gives me the greatest pleasure. Throughout this series the characters of Walter Brown, John Bradley Evans, Adelaide Reynolds, Katelyn Ross and Jezzica Parker will appear. These characters are my own and I don't profess for them to be of any consequence let alone part of the original series.

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**PROLOGUE – STORY ONE**

**Picture a Fence – "A Barrier to Prevent Access"**

**Then**

**Picture a family – "A set of parents and their children

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**

Walter Brown looked at the clock on the antique sideboard in the elaborate dining room of his Kansas home and frowned. Ten thirty on a Sunday evening. Who the heck in' their right mind came knocking on a sleeping household's door at this hour of the night?

Walter quickly did a mental check.

No.

Everyone was home as they should be so it wasn't going to be the Police Department. At least that was a relief.

They had all gone to bed an hour ago feeling tired and lethargic after five nights of very little sleep. The current heat wave was really taking it out of everyone at the moment and there wasn't one person in the whole of Kansas who didn't glance longingly at the sky and pray for the rain that was constantly being promised on the weather forecast.

The rain would be more than welcome for everyone but more so for the struggling wheat farmers. The state was dry at the moment and the crops were bad again.

Walter rolled his eyes as he walked down the stairs tightening the belt on his night-robe. Which one of his daughters would the person at the door be here to see this time? Whoever he was, and Walter knew without a shred of doubt it would be a "he", he was about to be told to go home and asked to call at a more appropriate time in the future.

Stepping into the expansive tiled foyer, Walter wished for one fleeting moment that his three daughters had remained little girls, little girls who pink dresses, rode their bicycles around the neighbourhood, played with their dolls and looked angelic in the church on Sundays.

Now they had grown into three extremely attractive young women and seemed to have done so almost overnight and before he had any say in the matter. These days they never wore the same thing twice, listened to music ten times louder than was good for their ear drums, talked incessantly on the telephone and dated young men by the dozens. The three of them were too attractive for their own good, Walter Brown worried. He swore if he had to chase one more young man from his front door this month, he was going to buy himself a shotgun and turn homicidal.

His wife Alice laughed.

"You just mind yourself Walter Brown." she said in her no-nonsense southern voice. "I'm sure the townsfolk don't want to read about their Bank Manager going crazy with a gun. What's happening around here is normal and the price you pay for having three such pretty young daughters."

He shook his head. This was the price he was paying all right if answering knocks on the door at ten thirty in the evening were anything to go by. He had finally been able to get to sleep tonight after tossing and turning in his bed for nearly a week from the heat and he didn't appreciate being woken. One of his daughters was going to be spoken to in the morning and told in no uncertain terms that it was not appropriate to invite company to the house after nine o'clock in the evening, let alone young men.

More than likely it would be Arabella, he sighed to himself. At eighteen years of age his youngest daughter seemed to think she would die if she missed out on something. That one dated every single young man who even looked sideways at her. She had a face that turned heads wherever she went and a funny, interesting personality. It was a pity most of the young men she attracted didn't have the same attributes, he mused with a sigh.

He knew he wouldn't be talking to his middle daughter Virginia. She was completely the opposite of Arabella. For a young woman of twenty she was far too wise for her years. He guessed it came from working in the District Attorney's Office. Virginia was very selective and only dated young and upcoming legal professionals. She had carefully planned to marry a man with means and money and to her that was the end of the matter. Walter knew Virginia and had no doubt in his mind whatsoever she would do it too. She was the ambitious one and she always got her way.

His mind dwelled briefly on Josephine, his eldest. Twenty one years old, completely outspoken, feisty and determined, he never ceased to worry about that girl. He always swallowed nervously whenever they had company let alone left the house in the company of a young man. No-one knew what Josephine would say or do next and Walter always felt sorry for those young men who didn't meet Josephine's expectations. They certainly got to know about their short fallings before they left her at the door that was for sure. She was far too like her Mother that one, Walter thought in a kind of mock despair. Give him the youngest two any day.

The knock on the door became more urgent and Walter knew whoever it was didn't intend to go away. Obviously this young man had no sense of time, no common sense and definitely no manners.

"I'm coming. I'm coming" he muttered in an annoyed voice as he made his way to the door.

"_This had better not be another of Arabella's boyfriends_", he thought as his hand rested on the doorknob. _"…or I swear..."_

He turned on the light on the porch, unlatched the chain and slowly opened the door. Standing before him on the porch stood a tall handsome young man dressed immaculately in his best clothes and wearing a tie.

"Good evening Mr. Brown Sir." He said nervously. "It's not too late for me to calling by is it Sir?"

Despite the fact this was one of the young men he liked, Walter Brown decided to say his piece.

"It's ten thirty on a Sunday evening Grant and all of us, including my daughter are in bed." He said abruptly. "What do you think son?"

The young man reddened and lowered his head.

"I'm sorry Mr. Brown but I didn't finish down in the back field tonight until almost half eight. It's been too hot to work during the daylight hours and my Daddy needed me to dig in the crop before I finished up for the evening. Guess I didn't realise the time, what with me washing up to come over and all."

Walter looked out at the old pick-up truck parked in the drive. He was a nice boy this one. Well mannered. Polite. Not like some of the others she used to date.

"Well Grant, Josephine's asleep upstairs I'm afraid. I'd rather not wake her if you don't mind. She has an early shift in the morning at the market and the heat's been knocking her around a bit."

He watched as the young man nodded his head and shuffled his feet.

"Grant. You and I both know what Josephine like if she doesn't get her rest." Walter added.

"Mr Brown Sir, I wasn't wanting you to wake her. I'm kind of relieved she's asleep if you're wantin' the honest truth. "

"Oh?" Walter enquired. "Why's that then son?"

Grant bite both lips together and stammered.

"W…Well Sir. I kinda wanted to talk to you."

After a short pause he continued politely. "That is of course if you didn't mind taking the time to speak to me."

Walter looked interested. Josephine had been seeing quite a bit of this young man lately. He'd been one of many who had called on her in the past few years but Walter had to admit over the past six months he couldn't recall Josephine leaving the house with anybody else.

"All right Grant." he said motioning him inside. "Come in, won't you son? We can talk over a brandy in my study."

The young man shook his head.

"No thank you kindly Mr Brown. I gotta drive my Daddy's truck back to the farm and he doesn't approve of me drinkin' when I'm out."

Walter Brown nodded with understanding. Sensible fellow too this young Grant Tracy, but then so was his Father. He'd known the Tracy family for a long time. They were regular visitors to the bank. Unfortunately it was always for the wrong reason; the borrow money to keep their ailing wheat farm afloat.

"Well then come in anyway Grant and make yourself at home."

Grant Tracy looked nervous as he glanced towards the staircase.

"Beggin' your pardon Mr. Brown." he said. "I'm not meaning to be difficult or anything Sir but if you didn't mind I'd prefer it if I spoke to you out of Josie's … I mean … Miss Josephine's hearing."

Walter's eyes followed Grant's. The boy seemed uneasy about things. He shrugged.

"Very well son. We can sit out on the porch if you like."

He looked longingly at his brandy bottle before he walked outside. Still, he was sure whatever it was Grant Tracy had to say to him, it wouldn't take him very long. Grant was a quiet, unassuming young man who said very little. That fact didn't surprise Walter Brown. No-one venturing within six feet of Josephine ever got a word in edgewise anyway.

"Would you mind too much if we went right out to the fence Sir?"

"The fence?" Walter frowned. "Why the fence?"

Grant fixed his dark blue eyes on Walter Brown and said matter-of-factly.

"I'll know for sure she can't hear us there Sir."

Walter nodded. He was beginning to become intrigued with what t

Is young Tracy fellow had to say to him and why he wouldn't want Josephine to hear it. Still, he didn't blame him for being careful. If by some co-incidence Josephine did hear and didn't like what was being said, she'd be downstairs saying her piece in less than ten seconds flat.

"Well all right son. After you."

The two of them walked down the darkened pathway towards the brand sandstone fence which towered in front of the Brown residence. The air was still as Walter Brown walked in silence beside the tall Tracy son.

"Your new fence is very nice Mr. Brown." Grant observed. "It didn't take long to get it up once they started on it."

"No." Walter replied in surprise. The last thing he expected Grant Tracy to mention was the new sandstone fence.

"Sandstone blocks are mighty expensive I'm told." Grant continued.

"Well you're right. They certainly didn't come cheap." he replied. "But then what does these days?"

He watched as Grant nodded.

"Yes Sir, I know what you mean. Things are pretty tough 'round these parts right now."

"So you and your Father lost another crop huh?"

The young man sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Afraid so Mr. Brown. That's three in a row now. My Father says we're gonna have to come and see you at the Bank again before long."

Grant paused, realising this was definitely not the place to talk about the dire financial situation he and his Father were in with the farm.

"Still no sense complainin' about things Sir." He said quickly. "They say it's gonna rain soon."

"I hope it does son. We certainly need it." Walter replied as they arrived at the fence. He watched as Grant reached out his hand and silently ran it over the sandstone. He saw him swallow hard.

"All right Grant." he said. "What's on your mind?"

Grant Tracy cleared his throat and fidgeted with his tie.

"Well Mr. Brown Sir." he began nervously. "Me and Miss Josephine… well …we've been kind of keeping close company for a fair while now."

Walter acknowledged his statement with a knowing nod of his head.

"Yes Grant. Josephine's Mother and I have noticed. I guess I should give you a medal for bravery for putting up with her for this long." he smiled.

Grant Tracy didn't seem to see the joke and didn't comment. Walter was surprised as the boy usually had a good sense of humour.

"What I meant to say is our Josie is certainly a handful." he explained. "And I admire you."

"If you say so Mr. Brown." he shrugged.

Grant began to pace up and down in front of the fence. He finally stood still and looked at Walter Brown earnestly

"Mr. Brown, Sir, if you don't mind me being direct, I kinda don't look at Josephine like that."

"Oh?" Walter asked. "How do you look at her then?"

Without flinching Grant Tracy admitted.

"I'm in love with her Sir."

"_Josephine?"_ Walter spluttered; the word escaping before he could contain it.

"Yes Sir. "he emphasised. "Josephine."

At Walter Brown's stunned silence Grant began to stammer.

"I… I… haven't touched her or nothin' if that's what you're thinkin' Mr. Brown. Honest."

Walter Brown had no doubts there. Josephine would amputate both of his hands before she'd let anything like that happen without her consent.

"Grant … son … what is it you're trying to tell me?"

Grant took a deep breath almost as if it was to be his last. As he exhaled it all came tumbling out of him.

"Well Sir … I was planning on asking Miss Josephine to marry me next time I see her and I'm here tonight to ask you if you have any objections."

Walter Brown fell into a real shocked silence now.

The young man in front of him was a Farmer living in an old broken down farmhouse on the outskirts of town. He was struggling to make ends meet. He'd just said he and his Father would be visiting the bank again, no doubt needing to borrow more money to keep their wheat farm afloat. Despite the fact he was immaculately groomed and dressed in his best clothes, they had been his best clothes for several years now. Josephine was used to a spacious comfortable home and a life of affluence. Walter Brown knew he wasn't a rich man either but he was much better off than the rest of the town. He also knew Josephine. There was no way she would cope with living on a farm no how much in love she thought she was.

He tried to forget about the importance he was placing on money and recollected all the observations he had made about this young Tracy son since he had first been introduced to him by Josephine. The young man was hard working, unnaturally polite, impeccably mannered, gentle, kind and sincere.

He thought about his eldest daughter Josephine. There was no need to make observations about her. He'd raised her and knew what she could be like. She was headstrong, quick-tempered and direct. Walter knew without thinking that the two of them wouldn't be a good combination if the crop failed year after year after year.

"Grant." he began. "How old are you son?"

"I'll be twenty five in the fall son."

"You understand Josephine's only twenty one don't you?"

"Yes Sir. I know that."

"You also know she is accustomed to a certain lifestyle." he continued carefully.

He saw Grant's face fall.

"I can provide for her Sir. I work hard and make an honest living. Morning till dusk every single day of the year."

"I know you work hard Grant, but there's more to having Josephine as your wife than just providing for her."

"Sir, I'll treat her right if that's what you mean. I'm a decent man. Honest.

Walter sighed. He wished he'd seen this coming so he could have discussed the subject with Josephine. He didn't realise her relationship with this young farmer had developed into something this serious. She certainly hadn't said anything. Then the realisation struck him. He wondered if Josephine knew about this herself.

"Grant." he said cautiously. "Tell me something. Does Josephine know how strongly you feel about her?"

Grant Tracy became silent himself and thought carefully before he replied.

"I'm a man of few words Mr. Brown. I find it difficult to express myself most of the time."

"Are you telling me then that Josephine doesn't know how you feel about her Grant?"

Grant lifted his head in denial

"No Sir. Beggin' your pardon but she does know. "he replied. "I can always find my tongue when it comes to telling Josephine how I feel about her."

His eyes reflected his emotions.

"There's nothin' I wouldn't give to have Josephine Mr. Brown. I'd even lay down my life."

Walter's stomach churned. He had to tell the boy he objected. What was the point in lying at a time like this?

"Grant." he sighed. "You're a fine boy and Lord knows I don't want you to take this the wrong way son, but Josephine hasn't mentioned things between you are that serious."

He saw Grant's tanned face crumble in disappointment and it took a few minutes to reply. When he did he spoke to himself, not Walter Brown.

"Guess she doesn't take me seriously because I'm only a wheat Farmer."

Walter watched as the young man extended his hand again to touch the towering sandstone fence.

"These sandstone bricks woulda cost more money than my Daddy and me have earned in the past two years Mr. Brown. I guess money's the difference if you want to be taken seriously. Miss Josephine knows I don't have much of that."

Walter Brown didn't know what to say but he finally managed to offer the sincerest reply he could.

"Son, trust me, there's nothing wrong with being a wheat farmer."

Grant Tracy nodded and looked up at the sky. He sighed miserably and reached into the pocket of his trousers.

"No Sir. Trouble is no-one will give you a chance."

He pulled out the keys to the old pick-up truck in the drive.

"Well Mr. Brown, I guess I'd better be on my way then. I got an early rise in the morning. Got plough the top field before the heat gets too bad."

He extended his hand.

"Thanks for hearing me out all the same Sir. I'm real sorry for wakin' you up."

Walter Brown's hand came up slowly and saddened as the young man was, Grant Tracy shook it firmly.

"Good night to you then Sir."

He started to walk towards the truck before suddenly turning back to face him.

"Mr Brown …. Ummm…. I'd sure appreciate it if you didn't tell Miss Josephine about me callin'."

Walter Brown felt like a total heel. In another life this young man would probably be perfect for Josephine. But this wasn't another life and Grant Tracy had no money and no future for as long as he stayed on that farm.

"Grant…" he said. "Wait a moment son."

Grant Tracy turned around again and fixed his disappointed eyes on Walter Brown.

"Yes Mr. Brown?"

"Grant, there's nothing personal in all this believe me. You're a fine young man. Josephine just wouldn't cope with being a Farmer's wife that's all."

Grant's chin lifted before he said in a dignified voice.

"I already understood your meaning Sir. I might only be a Farmer but I'm not lacking in intelligence."

With that he turned back and headed for the truck.

If Walter Brown could have described the feeling, he would have said it was like Grant Tracy had slapped him squarely across the face. He looked up at the sandstone fence as the young man's words echoed in his head.

"These sandstone bricks woulda cost more than my Daddy and me have earned in the past two years Mr. Brown. I guess money's the difference if you want to be taken seriously. Miss Josephine knows I don't have much of that."

He strode down the path towards the truck as Grant opened to door.

"Grant." he blurted. "There are lots of reasons for my stance on this. It's not just the issues with the farm …Josephine's headstrong and doesn't listen … and she never does as she's told either."

"I already know that Sir."

"And she always has far too much to say for herself."

"I know that too Sir."

"Well how can you honestly come here and tell me you want to marry her Grant?"

The young Tracy son did not reply. He started the ignition and waited for the engine to splutter and choke into life.

"It's OK Mr Brown." he finally commented over the noise. "You don't have to say nothing' else to justify yourself."

He nodded his head abruptly. "Good night to you Sir."

With that the tall young man carefully backed his Father's truck out of the driveway and drove slowly down the road.

Walter Brown stood in the empty drive for nearly ten minutes. He looked at the fence and then in the direction Grant Tracy had gone.

The words haunted him again.

"These sandstone bricks woulda cost more than my Daddy and me have earned in the past two years Mr. Brown. I guess money's the difference if you want to be taken seriously. Miss Josephine knows I don't have much of that."

A sandstone fence.

A sign of wealth and affluence.

Tonight it had pointed out the barrier between the haves and the have nots in this suffering little community in Kansas.

And … he sighed, turning towards the house with a heavy heart … saved Josephine from making the biggest mistake of her life.

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NEXT CHAPTER – Picture a Fence – "An upright structure enclosing an area of ground". Picture a family – "A close alliance."

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	2. Story 1 Part 1 A FENCE CREATES A FAMIL...

Author's Note:- Thank you to everyone who reviewed the Prologue for this story. I'm glad you saw the images. Here is Part 1 of the story proper. I am not saying this is how it would have happened but wouldn't it have been nice if this is how it did?. mcj   
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
FENCES & FAMILIES   
  
STORY ONE - PART ONE - A FENCE CREATES A FAMILY  
  
Picture a Fence - "An upright structure enclosing an area of ground"  
  
then  
  
Picture a Family - "A close alliance"  
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
Josephine Brown leaned on the old dilapidated fence and took a moment to gaze at the horizon. She idly twirled her long brown ponytail around her index finger, carefully surveying the miles of dry farming land stretching on all four sides of the farmhouse.  
  
The horizon was hazy, evidence of the relentless drought which gripped the State in its vice-like grasp.   
  
Josephine was torn between wishing the rain would fall soon and appreciating the fact that today was yet another beautiful, hot day in Kansas. The sky was blue, the air was still and the company … well as far as Josephine Alice Brown was concerned, the company she was keeping right now was absolutely perfect.  
  
Her blue eyes sparkled impishly in the sunlight as they came to rest on the tall, well-developed frame of Grant Daniel Tracy.   
  
Josie felt a small sigh of bliss shudder through her body. She could look at his handsome young face for hours.   
  
But despite enjoying the "scenery", she was fast becoming disgruntled. He hadn't looked up from fixing that blasted fence for nearly half an hour. Josephine shifted her weight and let out an exasperated sigh.   
  
How could anyone be so totally engrossed in a stupid broken down old fence?   
  
"Come on handsome... "she began. "…you still haven't told me where you've been hiding yourself these past three weeks. I haven't seen you anywhere; not even at the market."  
  
She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I was startin' to worry you'd fallen off the face of the earth or somethin'."  
  
When Grant didn't look up and didn't reply she added pointedly.  
  
"You know how discontent I get when you don't call by Grant."  
  
Grant Tracy recognised the tone in her voice and briefly lifted his head from his work.   
  
"I'm sorry Josie." he shrugged. "I've just been kinda busy round here that's all. "   
  
Josephine, happy to finally have his attention, then winked at him and asked suggestively.  
  
"Too busy even to be kissin' me handsome?"  
  
Grant reddened and looked back at the fence.  
  
"Aww Josie." he said feeling totally embarrassed. "You're givin' a man ideas saying things like that."   
  
Josie plonked herself down on the grass next to him.  
  
"Ideas?" she asked with avid interest. "What sorts of ideas you got Grant?"   
  
Grant Tracy averted his eyes. Even after three years of dating he still felt self-conscious about the feelings of desire which burned inside him whenever he was anywhere near Josephine Brown.  
  
"Come on handsome." she insisted looking at him with her big blue eyes. "I want you to tell me."   
  
He shook his head.  
  
"Not talkin' huh?" she grinned and poked him playfully in the ribs. "Must be mighty shameful thoughts you're havin then'."  
  
Grant's face reddened further.   
  
"Never you mind what I'm thinkin' Miss Brown." he managed to mumble.   
  
He felt her arms encircle his neck and before he knew it her lips were pressed against his cheek.  
  
"I know what you were thinkin'" she admonished him. "And I swear you're gonna have to go to church twice this Sunday for thinkin' it!"  
  
"I can't help thinkin' the things I do when you're so damned pretty Josie." he admitted. "Especially when you come over here lookin' like that."  
  
It was Josephine's turn to blush then as Grant Tracy ran his dark blue eyes over her tight denim cut-offs and close-fitting shirt.   
  
"Don't say things like that Grant" she berated him.   
  
Grant immediately looked away.  
  
"Sorry Josie." he apologised in a quiet voice.   
  
An awkward silence fell between them. Josie suddenly reached forward and jammed his old tattered hat down over his ears.  
  
"Oh Grant!" she teased. "You're so damned serious all the time. You oughtta know I like it when you say I'm pretty."   
  
She began to giggle as he struggled to remove the hat and then broke into fits of laughter when he finally managed to get it off.  
  
"You should see what you look like!" she shrieked in amusement referring to his dishevelled mop of dark brown hair. "I can't believe I was dumb enough to call you handsome."  
  
Grant's last piece of self- restraint melted and he smiled too. He simply couldn't resist her.   
  
He put down his hammer and motioned her into his arms. She immediately nestled close to him and his grip tightened around her. He closed his eyes as he held her and told himself that no matter what her Father had said to him out the front of that sandstone fence three weeks ago, he would never stop loving the heart and soul of Josephine Brown.  
  
"I've really been missin' you Josie." he murmured, lightly kissing the top of her head.  
  
She looked up into his eyes with adoration. She was totally smitten with this handsome young Farmer.  
  
"I've been missin' you too." she replied.  
  
He reached forward to brush away a stray lock of hair from her forehead.   
  
"I meant what I said about you before you know. "he said tucking the hair behind her left ear. "You're the prettiest girl in the whole of Kansas."   
  
"Only Kansas?" she pouted dropping her lip and feigning to be hurt.   
  
He grinned and tweaked her nose. "Well I can't be sure of nothin' else Josephine." he joked. "I haven't ever been out of Kansas to find out."  
  
She frowned and gave him a light-hearted slap.  
  
"You just watch yourself buster." she warned. "I'm not about to let you go and start lookin' either!"  
  
He pulled her even closer to him and felt the warmth of her body radiate against his.  
  
"Well that certainly suits me." he said happily squeezing her tight and taking in every facet of her beautiful young face.  
  
"Me too." she breathed.  
  
Slowly their lips came to meet and the two of them shared a long and loving kiss.  
  
After it ended they continued to stare into each others eyes.  
  
"I sure do love you Grant Tracy." she whispered.  
  
Grant sighed and released his grip on her. He wanted to say he loved her in return but he knew he wasn't ever going to be allowed to love her. Not in the way he wanted to.  
  
He looked in the direction of the rickety old fence and tried not to think about the images of sandstone which were always uppermost in his mind.   
  
"Josephine Brown, I swear I gotta stop all this mush right now." he said firmly in an attempt to change the subject. "You're distracting me from my work."   
  
She immediately broke into a broad grin and leaned back on the fence.  
  
"Am I?" she winked. "Would you like me to go home then?"  
  
Grant Tracy looked at Josephine Brown.   
  
"No Josie." he said honestly and with true sadness in his deep young voice. "If I had my way I'd never let you go home."  
  
Another look of mischief stole over her features.  
  
"Oh?" she asked. "You intending to kidnap me then handsome?"  
  
"There you go putting ideas in a man's head again." he replied in a futile attempt to forget his unhappy thoughts.  
  
"So where would you hide me?" she asked playfully. "Out in the barn or tied up nice and tight underneath your bed in the farmhouse?"  
  
"Under the bed's as good a place as any." he joked. "Then when I was feelin' the need I could drag you out and have my way with you."  
  
She looked in the direction of the farmhouse.  
  
"Now you're really asking for trouble." she giggled. "Imagine what your Daddy would say if he caught you doin' something like that."  
  
Now it was Grant's turn to wink.  
  
"Nah. Daddy's used to it!" he grinned. "I got a different girl under there every night of the week."  
  
He laughed as she frowned, folded her arms and turned away in a huff.  
  
"That's not the least bit funny Grant." she sulked.  
  
She stood defiantly with her back to him waiting for him to apologise.  
  
"Now who's being so damned serious all the time huh?" he teased, playfully pulling at her ponytail.   
  
However, stubborn as ever, Josephine Brown refused to budge until she got an apology.   
  
"Oh come on Josie! Turn around! You know as well as I do there's never been anyone 'cept you." he said.  
  
She swung back around and looked him up and down.  
  
"Better not be." she warned. "No-one else is allowed under that bed of yours Grant Tracy, you got that?"  
  
Grant raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Oh I got it all right Josephine but I don't think your Daddy would be too happy about the idea."  
  
Her face took on a determined look.   
  
"I don't give a damn what my Daddy thinks. If I decide I want to be tied up under your bed then I will be and nothin' he could say or do about it would make me change my mind."   
  
Grant shook his head at her. He loved her spirit and forthright attitude to life. He often wished he could be the same but he knew that was never going to happen. He was a Tracy son and he knew very well Tracy sons were expected to keep a level head.   
  
"Well I sure as heck don't want to upset your Daddy Josephine so I guess I'll just have to settle for you going home from here for now." he replied, reaching out and moving the rickety fence to and fro. "Besides I really gotta get back to fixin' this fence if you don't mind. Daddy's told me he wants it done by nightfall."  
  
Josephine shrugged her shoulders and pulled her car keys out of her pocket.  
  
"OK then. Guess I should be heading back into town anyway. I got things to do myself."  
  
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.  
  
"I'll see you later handsome."   
  
"Bye Josie. "he replied returning the affection. "Be seein' you 'round."  
  
Her impish voice floated back to him as she made her way to her car.  
  
"Don't you leave it too long this time Farmer Tracy else I'll be coming back here and doin' more than just hiding myself under your bed."   
  
Grant laughed and leaned on the fence waving as she drove away.  
  
Once she had gone he heaved a heavy sigh before sitting back down on the hay bale next to the fence to continue his work.  
  
The midday sun was savage and it wasn't long before the familiar beads of sweat began to dot his sun-tanned forehead. He looked about for his hat. His face broadened into a wide grin as he thought about Josephine pulling the hat over his eyes and teasing him about his hair. Almost as quickly his smile faded. He wished he could afford a decent haircut.  
  
"Miss Josephine gone home then?" came a deep voice from behind him.  
  
Grant Tracy nodded as he carefully aligned the next picket on the fence.  
  
"Yep." he replied and began to hammer.   
  
"What with all your carrying on out here I was startin' to think you didn't intend to finish the fence today."  
  
"It'll be done Daddy." Grant muttered and banged the nail in harder. "You oughtta know that."  
  
The minutes ticked on and the length of the fence began to rattle with the force of his blows.   
  
"Ain't no sense takin' all that aggravation out on the fence son."  
  
"Haven't got any aggravation." Grant lied leaning forward to pick up another picket. He ran his eye over the rotted wood and frowned before throwing it forcefully into the dusty, dry earth.  
  
"Can't we use that no more?"  
  
"Nope. Nail'll split it in half. It's only good for the fire now."   
  
Grant continued his work in silence.  
  
"Must be one mighty tough decision you're tryin' to make in your head right now." observed the deep voice.  
  
"Yep." was the only reply.  
  
"You needin' some advice with makin' it son?"  
  
At the sound his Father's words, the hammering stopped.  
  
"Maybe." he admitted.  
  
A large work ravaged hand reached out and squeezed his shoulder.  
  
"Grant, ain't no use burnin' up inside over Miss Josephine if her Daddy says you can't have her."  
  
Grant lifted his eyes to meet the concerned features of his Father.  
  
"I know that Daddy."  
  
"Well the way I figure it, if you can't have her, there's no decision for you to make. You just gotta forget about her and get on with things."  
  
Daniel Tracy watched as his only son acknowledged his words with a miserable nod of his head. His hand gripped Grant's shoulder tighter.  
  
"Son, this situation ain't no different to the way things were when your momma died. I was hurtin' real bad back then but it didn't matter to no-one 'cept me. You know I just had to forget about losin' her and move on. Guess it's your turn now."  
  
Grant turned back to the fence and looked down at the hammer in his hand.  
  
"Dad …I can't move on 'till I break the news to Josephine."  
  
"Well when are you plannin' on doin' that?"  
  
Grant shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"I dunno Daddy."  
  
The quiet insistent voice continued.  
  
"Shouldda done it just now instead of leadin' her on like that."  
  
Grant frowned and looked annoyed.  
  
"Daddy this ain't an easy thing for me to do after courtin' Josephine for nearly three years."  
  
"Son listen to me. You gotta deal with this now. "Daniel Tracy stressed, "I know it's upsettin' for you but like I said before, there ain't no use pursuing things if there's no future to it."  
  
Grant began to hammer in another board.  
  
"There's no damned future for anything 'round here." he murmured unhappily. "Drought's gettin' worse. Farm's losin' more by the week."  
  
Daniel Tracy sighed. Grant had been unsettled ever since he got the notion in his head that he wanted to marry Josephine Brown. The night Walter Brown had rejected him had changed the boy completely. Now he was disgruntled about everything.  
  
"Farm's no worse off than in other years son." he said firmly.   
  
Grant fixed his eyes on him.   
  
"Daddy... it ain't no better either." he replied with an uncustomary directness. "The way I figure it … "  
  
He stopped as he looked at the old weathered face. He simply didn't have it in him to continue. He loved his Father too much say as far as he was concerned the farm was past it now and they needed to cut their losses, settle their debts and move on to something else.  
  
However Daniel Tracy sensed what his son wanted to say and spoke in earnest.  
  
"Son, the Tracy family were farming this land when my Great-Granddaddy was a youngster. We were a mighty prosperous family back then. The richest in the District in fact."  
  
Grant picked up the next board and lined it up with the others.  
  
"Yeah well Mr. Brown would have let me marry Josephine if things were still the same Daddy." he scowled as he banged in the nails. "But things aren't. This family's had no money in the whole of my twenty-four years of living and there ain't no point remembering the past and hopin' it's gonna come back."  
  
The fence began to shake once more under the violent impact of his hammer.  
  
Daniel Tracy's voice sharpened.  
  
"Grant!" he snapped. "I told you hammering that fence like a man possessed ain't gonna change things."  
  
Grant threw down the hammer and stood up abruptly.  
  
"Excuse me Sir but I got too much aggression building up inside me to be working on this God-damned fence. I swear I'll knock it down the way I'm feelin' at the moment."  
  
Daniel frowned.  
  
"Son … you gotta stop blamin' the farm for all this and just get this yearning for Miss Josephine outta your system."  
  
"Leave it alone Daddy." he flashed, pushing past his Father. "I know what I gotta do about Josephine all right?"  
  
Daniel Tracy grasped his son's arm as he pushed past him. He looked him squarely in the eye.  
  
"Grant this farm'll be yours soon and before you know it, you'll be lookin' at passin' it on to your own boy. Prosperity will come back to the Tracy family, but you gotta be patient in the meantime."   
  
Grant tore himself away from his Father.  
  
"Daddy for once in your life open your eyes and see things for what they are. There ain't ever gonna be prosperity in this family while we're shackled to this farm. " he retorted as he stormed away in the direction of the back field.   
  
He suddenly stopped and turned back to look at his bewildered Father.  
  
"And what's more Daddy…" he said unhappily. "Without Mr. Brown's blessing on me and Josephine, you needn't be thinking there's gonna be another Tracy son born into this world either."  
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
Walter Brown sat at the head of the antique dining table, gripping the stem of his expensive red wine glass and shaking his head. It was going to erupt any minute amongst his daughters and he knew it. All three of them had been aggravating each other from the moment they sat down at the dinner table and it was getting to the stage when one of them was going to explode.  
  
Looking at Josephine's face, Walter knew without a doubt it was going to be her.  
  
It had all started rather innocently with what he thought was going to be a pleasant conversation over dinner about how Josephine intended to spend her twenty-second birthday.  
  
Arabella started things off on the wrong foot. She giggled and said she knew very well how Josephine would want to spend her birthday.  
  
"And how's that since you seem to know so much?" Josephine asked imperiously.  
  
"Smoochin' in the arms of that big, handsome Farmer boy." Arabella replied winking across the table at Victoria.  
  
Josephine had simply reddened and eyed her in silence. Arabella watched the colour invade Josephine's face and neck with an almost morbid delight.  
  
"I'm right aren't I Josie?" she exclaimed. "I can see right through you!"   
  
"Yeah well it ain't too hard for me to see through you either." Josephine flashed. "There's nothin' in your head to see through."   
  
Arabella's face fell and she continued to eat in silence.   
  
Walter smiled.   
  
Josephine had a knack of putting people in their place.  
  
Then of course the worldly Victoria needed to have her say.  
  
"I don't know why you're still seeing him Josie." she sniffed. "He's got absolutely nothing."  
  
Walter cringed when those words left his second daughter's mouth. It would be on between the two of them now. His two elder daughters were only fifteen months apart and not a day went by when they didn't argue about something. Josephine's forthright and direct ways sometimes annoyed Victoria but Victoria's worldly aspirations really aggravated Josephine.  
  
"How the hell would you know what Grant has and hasn't got?" Josephine snapped.  
  
Victoria rolled her eyes and picked up her wine glass. "Josie he's a Farmer isn't he?"  
  
"So what if he's a Farmer?" Josephine replied in a testy voice. "Doesn't mean he's broke."  
  
Victoria's voice became smug. "Doesn't it Josie?"   
  
The two girls eyed each other distastefully.  
  
"Why don't you ask Daddy how much money he has if you don't believe me." Victoria scoffed. "He'll tell you he hasn't got a dime."  
  
Josephine's eyes riveted in her Father's direction.  
  
Walter Brown found himself reddening. He didn't want to get drawn into any argument involving his daughters, least of all the fiery Josephine.  
  
"Well Daddy?" Josephine glared.  
  
"It's no-one's business but mine how much money my clients have or haven't got." he thundered eyeing them both up and down.   
  
That had seemed to settle them down for a while but as usual the peace and quiet didn't last. Walter shook his head with frustration as Arabella started them all off again.  
  
"So what's Grant givin' you for your birthday Josie?" she asked her blue eyes wide with excitement.   
  
Before Josephine could reply Victoria butted in.  
  
"More than likely the same as she got from him last year." she said. "Nothin'."  
  
Josephine's dark blue eyes clouded and Walter Brown sensed the quarrel was imminent.  
  
"You shut your goddamn mouth Victoria." she spat.   
  
Victoria shrugged her shoulders and looked at her arrogantly. "Wanna bet me I'm wrong Josie?"  
  
Josephine slammed down her cutlery on the table. "I said shut your mouth!"  
  
"Girls!' Walter Brown interjected. "That's enough from both of you!"  
  
The meal continued in silence. After a few moments Arabella continued, completely oblivious to the altercation that was about to erupt between her two sisters.  
  
"He might give you an engagement ring hey Josie?" she enthused. "You've been seeing him for over three years now."  
  
Victoria burst into laughter.  
  
"Engagement ring?" she mocked opening her eyes wide. "Bella I think Josephine's got it right about you for once."  
  
Arabella frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Victoria looked her straight in the face. "It means there ain't nothin' in your head if you believe Grant Tracy'd ever have the money to buy Josie an engagement ring."  
  
Arabella looked at Josephine whose hands now gripped the edge of the dining table in a silent fury. She swallowed nervously. Josephine was about to explode. She quickly admonished Victoria.  
  
"There ain't nothin' in your head either 'cept dollar signs." she retorted.   
  
"You sure got that right little sister." Josephine barked as she stared angrily across the table. "She doesn't care about anything else."  
  
Then the argument really started. It climaxed with Victoria's ultimate question.   
  
"All right then Josie. You answer me this truthfully as God is your witness. Who would you rather wake up next to in the mornings? A Farmer with nothin'? Or a man with substance?"  
  
… and ended with Josephine's ultimate answer.  
  
"Far as I'm concerned the one who had the substance I was wantin' before I went to sleep beside him." Josephine replied candidly.  
  
Victoria and Arabella looked at each other in shock. Neither of them could believe Josephine had just said that right in front of their Father.  
  
Even Walter Brown had been stunned.  
  
Josephine instantly realised what she had said. Speaking her mind had always been her biggest failing. She turned to her Father.   
  
"I'm sorry Daddy." she murmured. "I only meant money means nothing to me."  
  
To Walter Brown's mind came the night in front of the sandstone fence when Grant Tracy had asked if he had any objections to him marrying Josephine. He had objected because the boy had no money. Now here was Josephine saying she didn't care if he had money or not. He began to feel uneasy.  
  
"Josephine I'd like you to take a walk with me after supper." he finally said. "Your sisters can tidy up in here."  
  
Josephine looked at her Father with a worried face. "Daddy ... I said I was sorry."  
  
"Yes I know you did but what you just said in front of your sisters is totally unacceptable." he replied.  
  
"Yeah and we get all the chores dumped on us as well!" Victoria complained.  
  
"I fixed the supper you've been scoffing down like there's no tomorrow!" Josephine snapped. "I'm not dumping on you or anyone. And just so you know I did mean what I said Victoria. The men you date wouldn't even know what to do."  
  
"What Josie... and Grant does?" Victoria shot back.   
  
"Stop that gutter-type talk at once! " Walter snapped. "I won't stand for it!"  
  
Silence was absolute.  
  
"I'll just be glad when your Momma gets back from New York tomorrow." he bristled glaring from one daughter to the other. "She might be able to get you three girls to stop all your damned arguing and carrying on all the time."  
  
He looked over at Josephine. "You ready to go then young lady?"  
  
Josephine swallowed and rose from the table.  
  
"I'll get my coat Daddy."   
  
Walter looked at his eldest daughter as she left the room. There was no doubt she was an attractive young woman and he guessed he couldn't blame young Grant Tracy for falling in love with her.   
  
He rose from the table too.  
  
"I'll be back in a little while." he said gruffly to his two younger daughters. "Make sure all of this is tidied up when I get back with your sister all right?"  
  
Arabella and Victoria nodded their heads and as he left the room Arabella giggled.  
  
"I know you don't agree Victoria but I think Josie's right. A man with physical substance in the bedroom is much more interestin' than one with a great big bank account."  
  
Walter shook his head again and pretended not to hear her. Why couldn't he have had three sons instead! Life would be much less complicated right now.  
  
He met Josephine at the door and together they left the house and walked out into the night.   
  
Josephine looked about with interest and pointed at the house across the street.  
  
"Look Daddy. Mr. Marshall's puttin' up a fence like ours too." she said.   
  
"Mmmm..." Walter mused. "Makes four in the street now."  
  
Josephine frowned. "Whole neighbourhood's startin' to look like Fort Knox if you ask me." she said with her usual directness. "Damn ugly."  
  
"Sandstone is not ugly Josephine. It's expensive and durable." he pointed out. "And it's a status symbol in these parts."  
  
"Don't care what sort of status symbol it is Daddy." she shrugged. "It's damn ugly.  
  
There she was again. Speaking her mind regardless of whether it was appreciated or not.  
  
Walter cleared his throat. It was time he sorted this feisty young lady out.  
  
"Josephine ... I think it's time you and me talked about a couple of things."  
  
Josephine looked nervous.  
  
"Daddy if it's about what I said before, I'm sorry it came outta my mouth but Victoria was really aggravating me with all her carrying on over money."  
  
Walter put his arm around her and guided her across the street.  
  
"Josephine. Money is important to a degree." he said. "I know Victoria takes it to the extreme but in a lot of ways she's right."  
  
Josephine frowned.  
  
"How do you figure that Daddy?" she asked.  
  
Walter carefully picked his words.  
  
"Well without a reasonable income there's not much food for the table for one thing. And it goes without saying you have totally deny yourself luxuries like new clothing and vacations."  
  
Her dark blue eyes searched his.  
  
"Yes but Daddy if you were truly happy it wouldn't matter to you would it?"   
  
"Josephine you've never known what's it's like to go without anything so it's easy for you to say that. Now you look at me and tell me the honest truth. Would you be happy if you couldn't have a new dress or something nice for yourself whenever you wanted it?"  
  
Josephine was silent for a few minutes.  
  
"No Daddy." she replied. "I guess not."  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had been right about her. Josephine was her Mother's daughter through and through and like Alice, she made the most of her affluent lifestyle in every possible way.   
  
"I thought you'd say that. "he said. "… which brings me to the next issue I want to discuss with you."   
  
Josephine winced as her Father's eyebrows knitted together.   
  
"Your mouth young lady." he said sternly.   
  
Josephine lowered her head. "Yes Sir."  
  
"Josie, I'm telling you for the last time that you've got to learn to hold your tongue when things don't suit you." Walter directed. "If you don't you're going to get yourself in a lot of trouble before much longer."  
  
"I know Daddy." she sighed. "That's what Grant says to me too."  
  
"Well if Grant needs to say something to you as well Josephine, do you think somehow there might be a problem?"  
  
Josephine didn't reply. Walter decided to seize the opportunity to bring the matter up.  
  
"And while we're on the subject of Grant…" he began.  
  
Josephine's eyes became guarded.   
  
"What about Grant Daddy?" she asked.  
  
"Well … you've been seeing him for a good while now."  
  
"Like 'Bella said over supper, the two of us have been together close on three years now."   
  
Walter grew contemplative. Josephine noticed it immediately.  
  
"You like him don't you Daddy?" she asked in a worried voice.  
  
"Yes of course I like him Josie. He's a very nice boy." Walter said warily.   
  
This cautious approach was becoming all too much for Walter Brown. He needed to know the proper situation between his eldest daughter and young Grant Tracy and if he didn't ask her now he was never going to find out.   
  
He took a deep breath and spoke.  
  
"Josephine I probably have no right to ask you this because you are of age to do as you please." he said. "But I'm going to ask you anyway for my own sake."  
  
"What Daddy?" she asked inquisitively.   
  
"Josie … honey … errr…just how deeply are you and Grant errr... involved?" he asked.  
  
Josephine stopped walking and looked her Father straight in the eye.  
  
"Are you asking me if we've been to bed together Daddy? If you are , I don't mind telling you. Contrary to what Victoria thinks no we haven't." she replied forthrightly.   
  
Walter flushed with embarrassment. This daughter of his was truly a law unto herself. He decided right there and then it was pointless talking to her about controlling what she said because she was going to say what she thought when she thought it no matter what.  
  
"Anything else you would like to know about Grant and me Daddy?" she asked with her eyes still firmly on his. "I got no secrets from you."  
  
"I... err ... um.... no …" Walter stammered. "But while I think of it, don't forget to let him know he's welcome over at the house tomorrow night for your birthday."   
  
Josephine shook her head.  
  
"No can do Daddy. He's makin' me Dinner at the farmhouse tomorrow night. He said needs to talk to me about somethin'. Hope that's all right with you and momma."   
  
Walter Brown's stomach began to churn.  
  
"Daddy?" she said.   
  
He gave her a fleeting smile and tried to hide the worry he felt in his heart.  
  
"That's fine honey." he replied. "Err…any idea what he wants to talk to you about?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"No Sir but he said it's important."  
  
She giggled.  
  
"Hey Daddy maybe Arabella might be right about things after all huh?"  
  
"Right about what?"  
  
She winked at him.   
  
"The engagement ring."   
  
She held out her left hand in front of her and looked at her bare finger.  
  
"Might come home the future Mrs. Grant Tracy tomorrow night." she speculated. "What would you think about that Daddy?"  
  
Walter Brown tried to tell himself he wasn't about to lose the contents of his stomach.  
  
"I think we should go back in the house that's what I think." was all he could manage to say.  
  
"Josephine Alice Tracy." Josephine breathed dreamily as she danced around underneath the stars. "It sounds absolutely perfect."  
  
The sandstone fence appeared in front of them. They were home. Josephine stopped and looked up at it, looked across the street and shook her head at her Father.   
  
"Daddy I know you think it's grand and all but these fences are real damn ugly."  
  
She paused and then added hastily. "That is if you want my opinion on the matter Sir."  
  
"Actually Josie I don't want your opinion." he replied and continued to walk. "I like the sandstone fence very much and so does your mother."  
  
"It surrounds the place like a fortress and makes a person feel like they ain't welcome here." she mumbled so her Father didn't hear her. "That's what Grant says anyway."   
  
Walter stopped and called her away from the fence. "Josephine. You comin' inside or not?"  
  
Josephine's thoughts were now with Grant Tracy.  
  
"Give me Grant's old picket fence any day Daddy. "she said loudly as she walked up the drive. "Might not be big and expensive like ours but at least it makes the farmhouse look like home."   
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
The old hurricane lamp flickered in the darkness and the only sound to be heard in the barn was a badly suppressed giggle. The loft was musty and the draught coming from between the floorboards was cool but she didn't care at all as she lay amongst the hay bales cradled in Grant Tracy's arms.  
  
Despite the dimness Josephine Brown gazed up dotingly at the features of the handsome young Farmer.  
  
"You kiss me like that one more time Grant Tracy and I swear I'll forget myself." she breathed.   
  
Grant raised his eyebrows.  
  
"That so? I'm startin' to like the sound of that." he murmured and leaned over her again. She lifted both arms over his head and eased them down around his neck. She drew his face to hers. Their lips met once more in the half-light of the lamp. They kissed each other with a growing passion.  
  
Slowly their lips parted and Grant's face remained close to hers. He fixed his dark blue eyes on her and ran his hands through her loose brown hair and down the side of her face.  
  
"You're so pretty Josephine." he whispered as his fingers paused momentarily on her lips.  
  
"Am I?" she replied casually, lightly running her hand down the front of his shirt and toying with the buttons. "Or are you just sayin' that so I'll let you take advantage of me?"  
  
She watched as his face fell and he loosened his grip on her.  
  
"Josie you know I wouldn't do that." he said in a solemn voice. "I've told you lots of times how much I respect you."  
  
She playfully undid his top button.  
  
"Shame about that." she teased. "I was kind of hoping some big strong Farmer might like to finally have the opportunity."  
  
Grant Tracy looked at her beautiful features. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Josephine Brown was finally offering him the opportunity to do what he had wanted to do for nearly three years. The chance to take her as his own.  
  
"Josie" he whispered. "Are you serious?"  
  
Josephine nodded. She was completely in love with him and was finally comfortable that he felt the same way about her.   
  
"Yes I am." she replied.   
  
Grant sat up almost knocking the lamp off the hay bale. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked around awkwardly.  
  
"Gee Josie…I…I dunno about this." he stammered. "You told me you that losin' your innocence was somethin' you didn't wanna do until your wedding night."  
  
Josephine sat up too.  
  
"Well that's true for most part Grant… but I've been thinkin' about it and I don't see the sense in waitin' any longer since you and me are gonna get married one day any way."  
  
She ran her hands across his massive shoulders. The thought of his strong physique naked in her arms was setting her on fire.  
  
"Grant, it's my birthday..." she said drawing him into another long and passionate kiss.   
  
Grant could feel himself weakening. He had dreamed of this moment for so long and had given up all hope of ever having it. Now here she was lying in his arms, never looking more beautiful and telling him that he could.  
  
He broke away and shook his head. Having one last evening together in the barn before he ended things was one thing, making love to her and then saying he didn't want to see her anymore was another.  
  
"No Josie." he said. "You don't deserve to lose your innocence in a dirty, broken down old place like this. It should be special moment in a proper marriage bed just like you've been saying to me these past three years."   
  
Josephine looked at his face as the flame danced across it. At the moment she didn't care where she was when it happened, as long as it was with him.   
  
"Grant …" she whispered. "It don't matter to me no more."  
  
It was Grant's turn to look at her in the shadows. Tonight was turning out to be the most complicated and gut wrenching experience he'd ever had. And now this…  
  
Four weeks ago he had finally plucked up the courage to go out onto the porch and speak with his Father. His Father spent every evening sitting out on the porch and looking over the farm. Daniel Tracy had done that for as long as Grant could remember and up until she passed on just over five years ago, his mother had always sat there too. Now he sat alone and in silence.   
  
"Daddy." he said nervously. "I need to talk to you about somethin' important Sir."  
  
His Father invited him to sit down and share a bottle of homemade cider, the one luxury he afforded himself at the end of a hard day in the fields. Grant gratefully accepted.  
  
"Gonna have to get to work fixin' that fence before much longer." Daniel Tracy observed as he handed him the glass. "It's in a mighty bad state of disrepair son."  
  
"OK Daddy but I won't be able to get to it for a couple of weeks." he sighed. "Not if you want me to try to salvage the crop too."   
  
"Mmmm." Daniel frowned without turning his head. "Guess the fence'll have to wait for a bit if that's the case."  
  
He was silent.  
  
"So what's on your mind then son?" he asked. "Nothin' too bad I hope."  
  
Grant began carefully, unsure of his Father's reaction but bursting with the emotion he could no longer keep to himself… his burning desire to have Josephine Brown as his wife.  
  
"Daddy I want to marry Miss Josephine." he said. "And bring her to live with me at the farm."  
  
His Father turned his head in the darkness.  
  
"You sure you're ready to be providin' for a wife son?" he asked in low and calculating voice.  
  
Grant looked confused.   
  
"You talkin' about money Daddy?" he asked.   
  
Daniel shook his head.  
  
"No Grant. I'm talkin about the fact that there's more to providin' for a woman than just money. I told you that when you first started seein' Josephine. Marriage ain't all roses you know."  
  
"Daddy?" he asked again. "I'm unsure as to your meaning Sir."  
  
"Well …you gotta be strong for Josephine for one thing. Gotta know when to be firm with her for another."  
  
He shook his head and added. "From what I've seen of Miss Josephine so far, you bein' firm ain't gonna be all that easy."  
  
Grant's mind flashed back to their courtship so far. Josephine was headstrong, he knew that, but she wasn't anything he couldn't handle.  
  
Daniel Tracy continued.  
  
"Then there's the lovin' son. Lots of consequences to that as I'm sure you know."  
  
Grant listened carefully. At twenty four years of age he had never made love to a woman but was certainly planning on making up for lost time in that area when he married Josephine.  
  
"Daddy I believe I'm ready to marry Josephine." he said with conviction. "And that includes the consequences of lovin' her Sir.   
  
"Well by saying that you're saying to me you're ready to be a Daddy then." his Father said and watched as Grant's expression changed from confidence to one of complete surprise. It was obvious Grant wasn't planning to become a Father straight up and he wasn't too sure that Josephine had aspirations of early parenthood either.  
  
"You sure about that son?" he asked.  
  
Grant swallowed. "Yes Sir. I guess I am."  
  
"Big responsibility son … raisin' a child. Even so me and your momma would have liked to have had more than one. Just couldn't afford it."  
  
Daniel gave him a rare smile. "Still can't afford the one I got."  
  
Grant smiled too. "I earn my keep around here Daddy. Don't you be joshin' me now."  
  
The smile soon left Daniel Tracy's face. He changed the subject.  
  
"Grant. You sure Miss Josephine's got it in her to like livin' out here with us?"  
  
"I'm really hopin' so Daddy."  
  
"Well hopin' ain't gonna be good enough with Josephine. You're gonna have to make a big effort the way I figure it. You've seen her current style of livin' Grant."  
  
"I know Daddy." he said.  
  
"If you want her to ignore the struggle we're facin' with this farm you gotta make good everything else to take her mind off the money. Like tellin' her you love her every chance you get. Women like that long as you mean it. You also gotta put up with her tears sometimes. Life ain't easy out here and town folks don't cope too well at first. It's up to you to make sure she can. That's just the beginning of being a decent husband."  
  
Grant absorbed the advice. He often told Josie how much he loved her. He'd been shy about it at first but not anymore. As for the crying … as far as Grant was concerned Josephine never cried. She flew off the handle a lot but she never cried. He felt his Father's hand confidently pat his back   
  
"You do what I'm tellin' you to do and Josephine'll like it out here. She's one mighty fine young lady boy and you should be grateful for the chance of havin' her."  
  
Grant nodded his head and looked happily into the eyes of his Father.  
  
"Yes Daddy. She's mighty fine all right and I am grateful."  
  
They sat finishing off the bottle of cider. It was Daniel who finally broke the silence.  
  
"So when are you gonna ask her?"  
  
"Well Sir; I gotta ask Mr. Brown first but if he has no objections I was thinkin' about her birthday in a couple of weeks."  
  
Daniel lowered his voice and looked up into the sky.  
  
"Suppose you'll be wantin' your momma's ring then."   
  
Grant bit his lip. He knew how precious his mother's engagement ring was to his Father. It was the only material memory he had left of her and he treasured it.  
  
"Providin' it's OK with you for me to give to her Sir."  
  
Daniel's his eyes glistened with emotion. "Momma wouldda liked Josephine. Goes without sayin' she'd want her to have it."  
  
Grant's eyes glistened too. He wished his Mother had lived long enough to meet her.  
  
His Father went into the farm house and returned several minutes later with a small velvet box in his hand. He held it out towards him.  
  
"A marriage is for keeps and it's up to you to make sure it stays that way." he warned. "And in givin' you this Grant I'm expectin' you'll always treat Josephine like I treated your momma."   
  
Daniel Tracy's last words when he handed him his Mother's engagement ring echoed in Grant Tracy's head as his mind returned to the present and his eyes looked once more at the sensual lips of Josephine Brown.  
  
How easy it would be to simply say yes right now.   
  
How easy it would be to tell himself her feelings didn't matter to him anymore.  
  
But this was his final opportunity with Josephine Brown and experiencing things once would be better than never experiencing it at all.  
  
His Father's words held him in check.  
  
"I'm expectin' you'll always treat Josephine like I treated your momma."  
  
Grant flinched. His Father had never treated his Mother with anything other than absolute love and respect. What he was about to do to Josephine was totally lacking in love or respect.  
  
… but if he wasn't going to be allowed to marry her what was the difference to him?  
  
As his conscience was thrown into complete turmoil, her lips pressed against his again. She was so beautiful …   
  
"Grant …" she breathed slipping the shirt from his shoulders.  
  
His self control broke. Even if he never felt himself within her again, he wanted to feel it now. He could deal with the guilt later.   
  
"Josephine." he rasped, his lips searching the nape of her neck. "I've waited so long."  
  
The urgency in his blood reached boiling point as she allowed him to continue.  
  
There was now only silence in the barn.  
  
The flame of the old hurricane lamp flickered and danced above them as Grant Tracy hovered over Josephine Brown.  
  
"I'm expectin' you'll always treat Josephine like I treated your momma."  
  
The words crashed down on his conscience like a tidal wave. He closed his eyes against the memory.  
  
He didn't want to think about the way his Father had treated his Mother.  
  
He didn't want to think about the warning look his Father had given him the night he gave him his mother's ring.  
  
But he had been raised as a Tracy son and he couldn't not think about it.  
  
Desperately he moved away from her and reached out for his discarded shirt.  
  
"I'm sorry Josie…but I can't do somethin' like this." he apologised. "It just don't feel right."   
  
Josephine sat up, her long brown hair tumbling forward over her naked shoulders.  
  
"Grant?"   
  
One word conveyed her complete bewilderment.  
  
"I ain't ready for this Josie." he swallowed averting his eyes. "Please hurry up and make yourself decent ma'am. "  
  
His voice held such a tone of distress and anguish that Josephine could only reach forward for her clothing.  
  
"OK Grant." she said in a quiet and submissive voice. "Whatever you say."  
  
She began to dress in silence.  
  
"I'm real sorry about this Josephine." he said ashamed, his eyes looking anywhere but at her. "It ain't like I don't want to or nothin'. You're just … well …real special to me and I don't want nothin' for you but the best."  
  
Her eyes gleamed softly in the light as she smiled at him.   
  
"All right. I guess it'd be better for us to wait then like you say Grant."  
  
She giggled. "Besides it was startin' to become damned uncomfortable in amongst this hay."  
  
In her own mind however she would have liked to have been able to say to her materialistic sister that Grant Tracy had not only given her something for her twenty-second birthday, it had been something of real "substance".  
  
"Tory'd know what I meant too." she thought mischievously as she buttoned up her shirt and watched Grant stand up beside her.  
  
"I'll wait for you out the front of the fence Josie." he said as he strode out of the barn. "You and me have got some talkin' to do about our future."  
  
Josephine Brown's eyes lit up.  
  
Grant Tracy's eyes filled as he walked forlornly out of the barn.  
  
She was breathless with excitement as she rose to her feet to follow him.  
  
He was sick to his stomach as he walked towards the fence.  
  
She expected he was going to ask her to marry him.  
  
He was about to tell her he had to end things.  
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
He couldn't believe he was such a coward.  
  
Why the heck couldn't he be a man and just do it?  
  
He knew why all right.  
  
It was because he didn't want to do it.  
  
He'd stood next to the picket fence holding both of her hands for nearly ten minutes saying nothing.   
  
"Grant." she'd said. "I thought you said you wanted to talk about our future."   
  
"I …. I do." he'd stammered.  
  
He still couldn't get the words out.  
  
"Well we mustn't have much of a future if you can't even find somethin' to say to me about it." she berated him. "Come on ... I'm listenin.'"   
  
"Josie…" he'd begun. "It's like this …"  
  
She'd given him her full attention. And that was as far as he got.  
  
He couldn't tell her. Not here.  
  
He'd shaken his head in disgust at how pathetic he was and turned to lead her by the hand towards the truck.  
  
"We'll talk on the way home." he'd said as he opened the door for her to climb inside. "It'll be better that way."  
  
The trip home had been tense. Josephine looked out one window of the truck and he looked out of the other.  
  
The two of them tried to speak at once. Then neither of them said anything.  
  
She was waiting for that special question.   
  
He was putting off the inevitable.  
  
The sandstone fence finally came into view.  
  
They were home.  
  
He turned off the engine and braced himself. He turned to face Josephine Brown.  
  
This was it. He'd delayed things as long as he could.  
  
Josie" he said lowering his face in the darkness, "I got something I gotta say to you ma'am and I've been puttin' it off all night trying to find the right time to say it"  
  
Josephine looked at him expectantly She had been waiting three years for this moment. For three years she had been dreadfully in love with Grant Tracy and she knew without thinking any longer she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.   
  
"Well..." she urged. "...guess now's as good a time as any for you to say it."  
  
He bit both his lips together to compose himself, knowing that once he said this; he would never see Josephine Brown again.   
  
He glanced over at the sandstone fence as it towered in front of the Brown residence.  
  
Her Father was right. She wouldn't cope with being a Farmer's wife.  
  
His Father was right too. It was no use wanting something he was never going to be allowed to have.   
  
And Walter Brown had already said he was unable to have her.   
  
"What's wrong?" she asked with a grin. "Cat got your tongue or something handsome?"  
  
He shook his head and took a deep breath. He reached out and took her left hand in his. Josie's eyes grew wide with excitement.  
  
"Josephine … ummm… we've been seeing a real lot of each other these past few months."  
  
"Uh huh." she agreed, her eyes open wide.  
  
"Well ma'am. … it's like this …. I… I …."  
  
He looked into her beautiful blue eyes and the magical smile on her face. This was killing him.  
  
He closed his hand over hers and exhaled wretchedly.  
  
"Josephine … there's no easy way to say this to you so I'll just have to tell you straight. … I… I … um …I can't see you any more ma'am."  
  
He watched as her entire face fell. He felt her hand slacken in his grasp as if she had suffered some sort of mortal injury.  
  
"What?" she breathed in a deathly whisper, her eyes desperately searching his. "You're just jokin' around Grant …right?"   
  
When he looked away awkwardly her eyes began to fill with tears.  
  
"Grant…why are you breakin' up with me for?" she swallowed. "I ain't done nothin' wrong."   
  
Grant shrugged. He decided to use her Father's words.  
  
"It's nothin' personal Josephine. I just got other priorities these days." he said miserably.  
  
"Priorities?" she gasped. "Like what?"  
  
Grant looked again at the sand-stone fence.  
  
"Like getting' myself outta debt and makin' somethin' of myself and the farm."  
  
She felt hot tears begin to burn down her cheeks.  
  
"I've never stopped you from bettering yourself Grant." she blurted through trembling lips. "Not in all the time I've known you."  
  
"Josephine I'm not sayin' you have."  
  
"Well what in the hell are you sayin' then?"  
  
"I'm just sayin' I can't see you anymore."  
  
Josephine looked at him in devastation.   
  
"Is there somebody else? Is that the real reason you've been avoidin' me these past three weeks?"  
  
Grant Tracy felt tears welling in his own eyes.   
  
"No Josie there's never been anyone since I met you." he said turning his face away so she couldn't see them.  
  
The stream of tears escalated.  
  
"I don't believe you!" she cried. "You're lyin' to me Grant."  
  
The tears in Grants eyes now threatened to fall too. He desperately brushed his eyes with the back of his hand to contain them.  
  
"Josie honest ... I ain't lyin' to you. There ain't no-one else. There never was … never will be."  
  
He looked at her not knowing what else to say. Finally the words came.  
  
"This is just somethin' I gotta do ma'am."   
  
Josephine rounded on him.  
  
"That's a load of hogwash Grant. You don't gotta do anything you don't wanna do and you know it."  
  
She couldn't contain the pain in her heart any longer. She broke into noisy sobs. Grant was completely aghast. He had never seen her cry before.  
  
"Josie... please baby …" he pleaded as her sobs grew louder. "Please don't cry."  
  
He tried to take her hand but she pulled away from him like a wounded animal.  
  
"I loved you Grant Tracy." she accused him through her tears. "I loved you so much I was gonna give you what I didn't intend to lose 'till my wedding night.  
  
She looked at him with hatred. "And you were gonna take it from me too. I can't believe you were gonna take away somethin' you knew was important to me and then bring me home to break up with me."  
  
"Please understand Josie." he begged. "That's why I couldn't do it. It wouldn't have been right."  
  
She dismissed his explanation and continued to cry.  
  
"Who cares if you went through with it or not? You were going to Grant and that's enough for me."   
  
She lowered her head,sobbing loudly. Tears continued to flood down her cheeks.  
  
"How could you do something like this to me? It's my birthday." she choked.  
  
"Josie ... I ..." he began but her hand now searched for the door handle of the truck.   
  
"Guess I was wrong thinkin' you loved me." echoed in his ears as she stumbled blindly out onto the footpath. "I guess was wrong about you from the very beginning."  
  
Those words caused his own eyes to overflow. He would never love anyone more than he loved Josephine Brown. Hearing her say that felt like a burning hot stake being driven right through the centre of his heart.  
  
"Josie ... it's not true ..." he blurted wiping away the tears that now ran unchecked down his own cheeks. "It ain't."   
  
"It is true. All of it." she shot back. "I never meant nothin' to you. Nothin' at all. You were gonna use me Grant and I'll never ever forgive you for that for as long I live. "  
  
She slammed the door of the truck and ran through the gates of the sandstone fence.  
  
"Josie...no ..." he gasped in desolation.  
  
He looked at the fence as his face crumbled.   
  
He remembered Walter Brown's words.   
  
"Josephine just wouldn't cope being a Farmer's wife."  
  
He remembered his Father's words.  
  
"Son, ain't no use burnin' up inside over Miss Josephine if her Daddy says you can't have her."  
  
And the other words he knew only too well.   
  
"Tracy sons don't cry."   
  
He heard the front door of the Brown residence open and close.  
  
A silence followed.  
  
Josephine Brown was gone from his life.   
  
His head and shoulders slowly bowed in defeat behind the wheel of the old pick-up truck.   
  
His lips trembled as his grief overwhelmed him. He couldn't keep it in.  
  
He didn't care if Tracy sons didn't cry.  
  
He had just lost the most precious possession in his life.  
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
Author's Note - Please review!!!  
  
Next Chapter - The love story of Grant Tracy and Josephine Brown reaches its' conclusion.   
  
STORY ONE - A FENCE CREATES A FAMILY - PART TWO  
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 


	3. Story 1 Part 2 A FENCE CREATES A FAMILY

Author's Note: - I am happy you can see the images of the Fences and the Families in reading my version of the love story which began the dynasty of the Tracy Family. Thank you once again for reviewing. In posting Part 2 I would like to say these words again..."I am not saying this is how it would have happened but wouldn't it have been nice if this is how it did?" This is my favourite story and I hope you like it. mcj 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

FENCES & FAMILIES

STORY ONE - PART TWO - A FENCE CREATES A FAMILY

Picture a Fence - "An upright structure enclosing an area of ground"

then

Picture a Family - "A close alliance"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Walter Brown wished his wife wasn't such a nosey-Nellie. She'd been over by that window peering through the curtains ever since they'd heard the old pick-up truck pull up in front of the fence almost an hour ago. She had no intention of moving either.

"Alice for the last time come away from the window and get into bed." he frowned. "You can't see anything out there and if Josephine sees you looking your life won't be worth living."

"I can't help it Wal." Alice replied moving her head this way and that trying to see what happening outside the sandstone fence. "Josie told me …"

"Josephine told you what?" he asked in a bored tone.

"She called me in New York last night and told me young Grant had something he wanted to discuss with her tonight."

Walter rolled his eyes.

"For goodness sake Alice!" he exclaimed. "That could be anything."

Alice Brown shook her head. Walter could be so totally blind to things when it suited him. She was sure it was a legacy of being a Bank Manager.

"You really haven't got a clue when it comes to our girls do you Wal?" she berated him. " It's Josie's birthday and I know just by the way Grant's been acting these past few months, something's about to happen between them."

She looked him directly in the eyes.

"And Walter… you mark my words …that something is going to be a marriage proposal to our daughter whether you intend to approve of it or not."

Walter frowned and told her for the umpteenth time she should stop jumping to conclusions.

"Don't be stupid Alice. You know as well as I do Grant isn't going to propose to Josephine." he said firmly. "He knows the way I feel about his monetary situation and until that alters for the better, which it won't, I'm not about to change my mind."

Alice cocked an eye at him. Walter might think he had all the bases covered but he'd forgotten the most important factor of all.

Josephine.

"Yes." she acknowledged. "Grant does know how you feel about the money but your eldest daughter certainly doesn't. I'm telling you right now Josie will accept a proposal if he offers her one and she won't listen to anything you've got to say about it either."

Walter felt his stomach churn. He knew Josephine wouldn't listen to him particularly if it had anything to do with Grant. But hopefully he wouldn't have to say anything. He had planted the seeds of doubt in her mind the night he walked with her in the neighbourhood looking at the fences. She liked her lifestyle. She'd admitted that. Victoria had also helped his cause by pointing out to Josephine that Grant was broke. Walter knew even though Josephine hotly debated it, the doubt played heavily on her mind.

He opened his mouth to reply but Alice continued.

"It honestly wouldn't even surprise me if she ends up asking him to marry her before too much longer!" she said.

She sighed in frustration. This new fence was a damned nuisance. She couldn't see a thing.

Walter stood up and guided her away from the window, pausing briefly in an attempt to see past the fence himself.

"Now you're really imagining things Alice." he scoffed. "Josephine might not think before she speaks most of the time but she's certainly not impulsive enough to go and do something crazy like that."

"Says you!" Alice retorted as the two of them got into bed together. "She's sick with love for that boy. It was written all over her face after he kissed her on the porch three years ago and it's still written all over her face now ."

"Kind of like you when you saw me at the bus station this evening huh?" he joked wrapping his arms around her and planting a big kiss on her forehead.

"Maybe." she said giving him a mischievous grin. "Or then again … maybe not!"

Walter smiled and shook his head at her. It was obvious where Josephine got her spirited ways!

"It's been nearly four weeks Alice." he said softly leaning down to kiss her on the lips. "I've missed you."

She gave him a wry look.

"Sure you did!" she said in a voice reeking with sarcasm. ""I know what you're up to Mr Brown."

"Am I that easy to read?" he laughed kissing her again and drawing her into his arms.

Alice Brown looked up at his handsome face. She had missed him too and four weeks was a long time.

"Yes you are Walter." she smiled running her hands through his thick dark hair and kissing him again.

After the kiss was over she looked again into his dark brown eyes and whispered.

"And I am mighty glad to be home again."

Walter got the message loud and clear. He ran his own hands over her shoulders before reaching over and quietly turning off the night light.

"But what about Josephine?" Alice protested.

"Josephine's a big girl now Alice." he said kissing her throat and smelling her delicate scent. "Let's just worry about you and me."

Time became immaterial and what was happening outside the sandstone fence didn't matter anymore.

Walter and Alice Brown were now in a world of their own.

Neither of them noticed when the door of the old pick-up truck slammed...

…Daniel Tracy did.

He sat up and fixed his worried eyes on the clock and then the darkened hallway. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning and he hadn't been able to sleep. He knew when Grant left he was going to break things off with Josephine and he'd been worried and anxious for the welfare of his son ever since.

It was almost a relief to hear the truck pull up outside the farmhouse.

All evening his mind had been ticking over the sequence of events from when she had arrived for her birthday dinner. Grant had made such an effort to make the evening memorable for Josephine. The house was spotless and a simple but special table had been set. It was a table Daniel knew was set to say goodbye.

It had broken his heart to see the depth of love Grant still had for Josephine Brown. Grant didn't say anything but the table said it all for him. The little touches were there; his Mother's best china, a small bouquet of white daisies pulled from the neighbouring field, a small white handkerchief with her initial on it… a hand-written note.

It was all he could afford to give her for her birthday.

Josephine had looked positively radiant. She wore a pretty white outfit highlighting her ruby red lips and flashing blue eyes. Her long brown hair cascaded loosely about her shoulders and back, framing her face and accentuating her beauty.

Daniel had never seen Josephine Brown look quite so stunning and when he found his tongue and told her so, she blushed, smiled in appreciation and looked up into Grant's eyes.

"Grant said he's got something important to discuss with me tonight Mr Tracy." she replied without shifting her gaze. "So I figured I should look my best."

His heart had gone out to Grant at that moment. His son must have been feeling wretched at the expectation and excitement in her voice. But Grant had held himself together admirably. He smiled back at Josephine and put a loving arm around her shoulders.

"I told her yesterday out by the fence Daddy. She's the prettiest girl in the whole of Kansas." he said squeezing her to him. "And she's even prettier than that tonight."

"Aww Grant." she said shyly. "Don't embarrass me in front of your Daddy."

Daniel had simply smiled.

He had become very fond of Josephine Brown over the past three years and had been genuinely happy when Grant said he wanted to marry her. Having Josephine in the house would have been like having Ellen around again and that would have made Daniel very happy.

Josephine reminded Daniel so much of his late wife. They were very similar; sharing the same sense of humour and love of life. Ellen had laughed a lot and Josephine laughed too. Ellen always saw the bright side of everything and from what he'd seen of Josephine, she did too. Ellen had made him a very happy man and it was obvious to Daniel that Josephine would do the same thing for Grant. Grant adored her just as he had adored his beloved Ellen.

But there was one noticeable difference between Ellen Tracy and Josephine Brown.

Ellen had been the daughter of a Farmer, not the daughter of the local Bank Manager.

And there was the problem.

It was all about money.

Of all the young women Grant could have met and fallen in love with, he had chosen to fall in love with the daughter of the man who controlled the destiny of the farming community. That fact had never sat well with Daniel Tracy and not a day had gone past that he didn't worry himself sick over it.

But he watched as she made herself at home that night. She might be the Banker's daughter but it was hard not to find a special place in his affections for Josephine Brown. It was like she was part of the family when she called. No airs and graces. No awkward moments. She simply threw her bag down on the couch like she belonged, grabbed Grant by the hand and began to haul him towards the kitchen.

"What's for Dinner then?" she asked. "I hope whatever it is it turns out better than the last time Grant!"

Daniel allowed a small smile to temper his bottom lip. On her last visit the two of them had been so busy kissing in the hallway they failed to notice the whole meal was burning to a crisp less than ten feet away from them. Daniel had seen the smoke billowing out of the kitchen from where he was working in the barn. They, on the other hand were totally oblivious to everything.

"Now you see here Miss Brown." Grant warned in mock annoyance. "You'll be going hungry if I hear too much more of that!"

She looked up at him and grinned.

"Better hungry than havin' charcoal in my teeth!" was the spirited reply.

Grant laughed and the two of them went into the kitchen with their arms around each other. Daniel soon heard the familiar sound of giggling and guessed it was time he found something to do with himself outside. He reminded himself he'd better keep an eye out for the smoke just in case.

Fortunately Grant refused to allow himself to be distracted this time and the three of them sat down to a basic but satisfying meal. Then Grant had produced the birthday cake. Josephine broke into hysterical laughter as he proudly carried it to the table.

"Oh Grant what have you done! It's completely flat." she giggled.

Grant had reddened.

"It's supposed to be flat." he said indignantly.

"Grant it is not!" she teased him. "You probably used the wrong flour!"

"You mean there's a difference?" he asked innocently.

All three of them had laughed then and Josephine clearly enjoyed blowing out the candles on her flattened "birthday cake."

Daniel watched the two of them interact together after that. Grant taunted her and she ribbed him back. He laughed. She laughed too. Daniel found it difficult to stop the tears pricking his eyelids. It was so like the way things used to be with Ellen.

Ellen's company had always been an oasis he could turn to when he needed to forget the worries he had with the farm. Ellen never made him feel like a farmer. She only ever made him feel like a man.

Daniel Tracy bristled.

Why wouldn't Walter Brown allow Grant to feel the same? Couldn't he see the love his son had for Josephine and the love Josephine had for him? Was he blind? Was money so important?

Daniel quickly moved back to reality. What the hell was he thinking? To a Bank Manager, money was everything.

After dinner he excused himself and retired to bed. His back was giving him trouble again and he needed to lie down. He also knew Grant needed space to enjoy his last few hours with Josephine. He rose from the table and extended his hand towards her.

"You take care of yourself now young lady." he said.

She shook his hand firmly.

"Yes Sir Mr Tracy. I'll be seein' you next time I drop by." she replied. "And thanks a lot. It was real nice of you to have me over for my birthday."

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand with true affection.

"You're always welcome in these four walls Miss Josephine. I want you to know that."

And that had been where it ended. He knew Grant had taken her out to the barn. It worried him a little knowing what he and Ellen had gotten up to in there when they were courting but Daniel guessed Grant was only going through the motions now.

He'd heard the two of them talking out in front of the fence two hours later. Daniel grimaced when he heard Josephine bring up their future. He grimaced more when Grant didn't answer her.

He'd heard them both leave in the truck soon after.

Five hours later his son had finally come home.

Daniel shifted his weight in the bed and wished the pain in his back would go away. It seemed to be getting worse with rest instead of better.

He heard the door to the farmhouse open and close and saw Grant walk quietly down the darkened hallway.

The minutes seemed like hours before his son entered his bedroom.

Daniel Tracy watched in silence as Grant reached into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet box.

He heard the drawer of the sideboard open and close.

"Son?" Daniel's voice queried softly in the darkness.

"It's done Daddy." Grant replied in a low and devastated voice.

He swallowed and added. "I'm sorry if I woke you Sir. I was returnin' Momma's ring."

Grant went to turn away.

Daniel's voice cut the air again.

"You wanna turn yourself back round son and tell me what happened with Josephine?" he asked expectantly.

Grant hung his head.

"With respect Sir, I've had enough misery to deal with tonight without relivin' it."

There was silence as Grant grappled to stay in control of his emotions in front of his Father.

"Please Daddy... "he said awkwardly.If you'll excuse me …I ain't bearin' up too well right now. "

Daniel flinched to hear such naked pain in his young son's voice.

"You sure you don't need to talk about this son? I don't mind sittin' if you need to get things off your chest."

Finally Grant gave his Father the only answer he could without breaking down again.

"I don't want to talk about Josephine no more Sir."

He turned to leave the room before Daniel could see the silent stream of tears sliding down his face.

"I did what needed to be done Sir." he said quietly.

"And it's over."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"A three letter word for family ..."

Alice Brown chewed the end of her pencil and took a sip of her coffee while she thought long and hard about the clue. "Hmm..."

She looked about the dining room hoping for some divine inspiration. Her eyes fixed on the curtaining.

"Beige." she sniffed. "What a boring colour."

Her eyes continued to scan the room. The whole lounge needed a lift. She might go out later and look around for some new curtains. That drew her attention to the carpeting. It was looking a little tired too. Well she supposed it wouldn't hurt to check out the new range while she was looking at ideas for the lounge room.

Now that she'd planned what to do with herself for the day, she focussed her attention back to the crossword puzzle.

Alice enjoyed the morning crossword. It stimulated her mind and helped to pass the long and monotonous day. She often wished Walter would allow her to hold down a job but he had made it very plain he didn't want any wife of his working. The Bank Manager had a sort of status in this town and as far as he was concerned that status extended to his wife.

Well it was all right for Walter to think that, she sniffed with discontent. Ever since the girls had finished High School he didn't understand how boring and mundane her life had become. There was simply nothing to do since she had resigned as the President of the High School Social committee, the Co-ordinator of the Prom committee and the Treasurer of the Harvest Dance Committee.

Her girls and their interests had been her whole life and that part of her life was now gone.

The girls were leading their own lives.

Arabella managed the fashion boutique in town. Fashion conscious and with an eye for detail she was making a nice little niche for herself in the business community for one so young. She rarely asked her mother for advice these days. It was always Walter she sought out. After all what did her Mother know about inventory and business?

Then there was Victoria and her blossoming career at the District Attorney's Office. She had been steadily climbing the corporate ladder for three years now. She was astute and ambitious like her Father and he was schooling her well. It was her Father she turned to for advice. What did her mother know about Office politics?

And finally there was Josephine. She was the most independent of them all. She had finished high school at sixteen, graduated from College at twenty and now as the most highly educated of the girls and much to her Father's dismay, she had chosen to work in a market until "something she wanted to do with herself" came along. Independent and headstrong, no-one was going to force Josephine to do anything before she was ready, least of all her Father. And she didn't need her mother to back her up either.

Alice sighed. These days it seemed like none of her girls needed her. At forty five she felt like she had been retired.

She continued to fill in the spaces of the crossword.

A three letter word for family...

"Kin." she said aloud.

Her face fell. "For all bein' a family's worth around here."

She looked to the next clue.

Ten across. "A seven letter word for fence."

That brought to mind the night before and how hard it had been trying to see past the fence.

Once she pictured the towering monstrosity, the answer came.

"Barrier that's for sure." she scoffed and quickly pencilled it in.

"Boy you're on a roll today Alice." she said with satisfaction.

But her mind wandered back to the sandstone fence. It was one great big barrier all right especially when a person wanted to see what was happening in an old pick up truck parked out the front of the house.

It reminded her of Josephine and the handsome young farmer who had completely stolen her heart…and Josephine's telephone call to her in New York.

"Hi Momma!" she had enthused forgetting that it was almost one o'clock in the morning. "I simply had to call and tell you about Grant before I busted!"

"Well don't go doing that on me Josie." she had replied. "What's happened with Grant? Why are you so excited?"

The next few minutes passed without Josephine even taking a breath. She finally ended happily.

"Oh momma Grant's going to ask me to marry him tomorrow night. I just know it."

"Well don't get your hopes up honey." she had replied hesitantly knowing full well what Walter had said to Grant three weeks earlier. She was on Walter's side to a certain extent she supposed but unlike Walter, her reasons for disapproval were completely different to his.

Walter was worried about money. Alice was worried about losing Josephine to Grant Tracy.

Josephine of course had refused to believe Grant would have anything else on his mind except marriage and the call had ended with Alice feeling extremely uneasy about what was about to happen.

She began to wonder what the outcome of their "discussion" had been. It couldn't have been too major by the seems of things. Alice knew if Josephine had come home sporting Grant Tracy's engagement ring the whole world would have been told by now.

She paused for a few moments to remember what it had been like to be young and in love. She knew Josephine adored the young Farmer with the magnetic smile and she also knew the "something better" Josephine was waiting for to come along was not a highly paid job but his marriage proposal.

Alice made a mental note to call in at the market later on in the day. She knew she should have waited up for Josephine but Walter's "distraction" had made that extremely difficult. She smiled to herself. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in his arms. Even after twenty-five years Walter Brown was one heck of a man.

"You should be ashamed of yourself Alice." she muttered, taking another sip of her coffee and returning to the puzzle. "Your children should come first."

The telephone rang.

It was Marvin Landers, a young man who worked with Josephine at the market. Alice rolled her eyes when Marvin identified himself. He had been carrying a torch of love for Josephine since Grade school and despite Josephine putting him in his place more often than not he still worshipped the ground she walked on.

"Howdy there Mrs. Brown." he said in his pleasant southern voice. "Did you have fun hangin' out in the Big Apple all on your lonesome?"

"Yes thank you Marvin." she said giving him a staid reply. "New York was just fine."

"Hope to go there myself one day you know." Marvin responded in a voice full of enthusiasm.

His enthusiasm suddenly dampened. ""Errr…if I ever manage to get my car to start that is."

Alice remembered Josephine's Grade school days. Marvin was a dreamer then and he was a dreamer now. The car he drove made Grant's pick up truck look like a limousine. It would take him a mighty long time to get himself to New York if he was planning to go in that.

"Well you keep working on it Marvin. "she encouraged.

The tone of her voice then changed. "Now I guess the reason for your call isn't social." she began. She suddenly cringed. "Errr...is it?"

Alice recalled Marvin looking at Arabella in church a few Sundays ago and Arabella winking back at him. She and Walter had so much trouble with the calibre of Arabella's boyfriends but surely even she wasn't thinking about dating Marvin!

The voice on the other end of the telephone became serious.

"No Mrs Brown, I was only ringin' to ask if you knew where Josephine was."

Alice frowned. Josephine always left well before the rest of the house awoke. She assumed she had gone to work.

"No." she hesitated. "I thought Josephine was at the market with you. You sure she isn't there son?"

"Yes ma'am. She ain't here that's for sure. The boss was askin' me when she was comin' in."

Alice looked in the direction of the stairs.

"I'll just go and check for sure Marvin ." she said.

"Standin' by Mrs Brown." he responded.

Alice got no further than the kitchen. As she went to go up the stairs, she saw Josephine's car keys and handbag lying on the nearby bench. Josephine never left the house without her handbag and she always drove her car.

She picked up the telephone extension on the kitchen wall.

"You still there Marvin?" she enquired.

"10 - 4 ma'am." he answered back. "How about Josie? She still there too?"

"Umm ... yes so it seems." Alice replied. "Please apologise to Mr Rodgers for her. She obviously isn't feeling well if she hasn't called."

"OK Mrs Brown I'll let the boss know." he said.

"Thank you Marvin." she replied. "I'm sure Josie will appreciate it."

"You figure ma'am?" he asked with excitement.

"Yes Marvin I figure." Alice said trying not to laugh. "Thank you for ringing me son."

"Roger Dodger. Marvin Landers signing off. "he ended.

Alice Brown shook her head. Grant Tracy mightn't have any money but he was certainly a better catch than Marvin.

"If Arabella ever brings Marvin home Walter will kill her!" she grinned, putting down the receiver and hurrying towards the stairs.

What was wrong with Josephine? It was unlike her not to call the market if she wasn't going to work.

She noticed the door of her bedroom was tightly shut.

She knocked quietly. "Josephine?"

There was no reply.

She knocked again and turned the door handle. "Josie?" she called again. "Are you in here honey?"

She peered into the semi-darkened room. Lying on top of the covers still wearing the clothes she had worn the night before was Josephine.

Alice walked over to her bed and leaned over her. Josephine lay awake staring blankly at the wall.

Alice placed a hand on her forehead.

"Josephine?"

Josephine did not respond.

"Don't you feel like going to work today honey?" she asked.

"No ma'am." she replied in a thin and tiny voice.

Alice saw Josephine's lips trembling and noticed her swollen red rimmed eyes. She sat down on the bed beside her.

"You sure you're OK honey?"

Josephine shook her head.

"No ma'am." she blurted and broke into a tirade of sobs. "No I ain't."

She buried her head in her pillow and her whole body dissolved with grief. Alice's face fell in horror.

"Josephine what's happened honey? Are you in pain? Or hurt?"

Josephine continued to cry.

"It ain't fair momma." she sobbed. "I wouldda said yes if he'dda asked me."

Alice sighed.

She should have guessed.

Josephine hadn't received her marriage proposal.

Well she had tried to warn her it wasn't going to happen but as usual there was no telling Josephine anything. But the child was crying as if her whole world had caved in. Alice frowned. She shouldn't be taking it this badly.

She began to stroke her hair.

"Of course you would have said yes sweetheart." she soothed. "But I did tell you not to get your hopes up where Grant was concerned. He's got lots of things on his mind with the farm at the moment and you gotta understand that."

That comment only made her cry harder.

"I love him Momma." she blubbered. "More than anything."

After a few moments she whispered. "And I thought he loved me."

"I know Josie but you just can't rush a young man with these sorts of things sweetie. He'll ask you when he's ready. You'll see."

Josephine turned her swollen face to her mother's.

"Momma he ain't ever gonna ask me." she heaved. "He broke up with me."

Alice's face drained of all colour.

"Oh no." she breathed in dismay.

To her mind came Walter. He had been so cocksure of himself last night.

"You know as well as I do Grant isn't going to propose to Josephine." he'd said.

However not even Walter would have been entertaining the fact Grant Tracy would take his rejection literally and end his relationship with their daughter.

She pulled Josephine into her arms.

"Sweetie...I'm so sorry." she whispered, squeezing her tight. "You must have been feelin' dreadful last night."

Josephine gulped and tried to pull herself together.

"I just wanted to die in that truck Momma. I thought he was gonna ask me to marry him when he started. I got such a shock when he said he was endin' things between us."

She started to cry again. "I didn't even know it was comin' ma'am."

In between sobs she continued.

"He said he had other priorities 'sides me. Like gettin' outta debt and makin' somethin' of the farm."

Her eyes searched her mother's.

"I don't understand ma'am. I was willin' to help him with the farm. I didn't mind if the house wasn't like ours or the life out there was hard. I loved him because he loved me and I thought that was all that counted."

She shook her head.

"But love don't count. Not to Grant."

Alice began to seethe inside. She knew damn well it did count to Grant. It was plain as the nose on her face that Grant was completely in love with Josephine. It was Walter who had made Grant doubt himself.

"He said breakin' up with me was somethin' he had to do momma." Josephine sniffled. "Why would he have to do somethin' like that if he loved me?"

Alice was starting to become angry now. There was no doubt about it. This break-up was all Walter's fault.

She ran her hand across Josephine's forehead and pushed back her tousled hair.

"Why men do half the things they do Josephine is beyond my comprehension" she replied speaking more about Walter than Grant.

"Momma I felt so bad last night." she blubbered.

"Honey you should have woken me."

"Your door was shut when I came in and Daddy don't like us opening the door at that hour of the night. Life or death he says. They're the only reasons."

"Oh Josie. " Alice said gently looking into her daughter's tear stained face. "I can't believe you cried all night by yourself. That's what your momma is here for sweetheart. "

Josephine began to sob again. "Yes ma'am … "

After a few minutes Alice pulled out a wad of tissues and began to wipe her face.

"Come on. Don't cry now." she comforted. "Those pretty blue eyes aren't meant to shed tears."

Josephine looked into the eyes of her mother. She always told her everything and what had happened in the barn had been playing on her mind ever since she left the pick-up truck.

"Momma ." she began "Grant mightta broke up with me for another reason too."

Alice looked at her in surprise and waited for her to continue. Josephine bit her lips together and lowered her face in shame.

"I made a big mistake last night." she whispered. "You see ma'am … up to last night me and Grant ... well ... we've never ..."

Any colour Alice Brown had in her face instantly left it again.

"Oh no Josie." she breathed. "You didn't give yourself to him did you?"

Josephine lifted her shoulders trying to shrink within herself.

"Sort of ma'am. I said he could ...and we started to... but... then he changed his mind."

She burst into tears again.

"Momma he said he stopped because it wasn't right."

"Thank God for that." Alice whispered to herself.

Josephine cringed and wiped the tears from her cheeks with trembling hands.

"I felt so dirty when he said he wouldn't. He mustta thought I was cheap for offerin' myself like I did. Daddy told me once no man wants a wife who's like that."

The tears poured down her face.

"But I ain't cheap momma. I ain't. Last night was the first time I ever let anyone touch me like that."

Alice drew her eldest daughter back into her arms.

"Josie you're not cheap sweetheart and Grant would never think you were cheap either. "she assured her. She frowned. "I don't know what the hell he WAS thinkin' but I know it wouldn't have been that."

She swallowed and continued with difficulty.

"And besides … if the two of you stopped before … umm … things went too far …as far as I'm concerned what happened between you don't count."

After a few minutes Josephine pleaded.

"Momma. Please don't tell Daddy about this."

"Josie. Your Father will have to know you've broken up with Grant."

"I don't mean the break-up Momma ... I mean ... Grant touching me. He'll get real mad momma and take it out on Mr Tracy."

Alice looked dubious but Josephine fixed her frightened blue eyes on her Mother.

"Please momma. All this ain't Mr Tracy's fault."

Alice leaned forward kissed her forehead.

"All right honey. He doesn't need to know I guess. Now I want you to go and take a shower and change out of those wrinkled clothes. I'll go down and make us a cup of tea and we'll talk about this some more."

Josephine lowered her head and nodded miserably. "Yes ma'am."

Alice rose from the bed and gave her a reassuring smile. "That's a good girl. You come down when you're ready all right?"

She walked down the stairs and looked in the direction of her car keys. She had a mind to go down to that bank right now and give Walter a piece of her mind. But she knew she couldn't.

He was the Bank Manager.

However there was nothing to stop her ringing the Bank Manager and making him aware of the family disaster he had caused.

She reached forward for the receiver and dialled the number.

The call connected.

"This is Alice Brown here." she said a less than pleasant voice. "I would like to speak to my husband please."

"I'm sorry Mrs Brown but Mr Brown is busy with a client right now." his secretary replied in a bored voice. Alice Brown pictured his obnoxious young Secretary filing her nails, chewing gum as she always did and happily fobbing everyone off. Well she wasn't fobbing her off. This was a family matter.

"My call is in relation to an urgent problem at home." she said in a dead-pan tone. "As far as I'm concerned his client can wait."

Walter Brown startled as his telephone rang. He had told Danielle to hold all calls.

"Excuse me one minute will you?" he said awkwardly reaching forward to pick up the receiver.

"Walter Brown speaking." he said with real annoyance in his voice.

"Walter?" snapped Alice Brown.

Walter was surprised. Alice never disturbed him at work let alone spoke to him like that.

"Hey there Alice." he began. "Wh…"

Her response silenced him immediately.

"Don't you hey there Alice me Walter Brown."

Walter's face fell. When he had left home this morning he'd received a very loving farewell courtesy of his love-making the night before. Now less than three hours later things had all changed.

"What's the matter Alice?" he frowned.

"Nothing's the matter. All I can say is I hope you're pleased with yourself Walter." she began. "Our eldest daughter is upstairs at the moment cryin' her eyes out.

"Josephine?" he asked in surprise. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Grant broke up with her last night that's what's wrong."

"What? That's rubbish!" he exclaimed veering from red to white to red again.

"It's not rubbish." Alice Brown retorted. "It's a fact."

Walter looked around the walls of his Office trying to think of something to say. But at the moment he wasn't in a position to say anything.

"Alice." he said uncomfortably. "I'm in a meeting with a client at the moment honey. I'll have to call you back when I'm done."

"No you won't call me back Walter." Alice fumed. "This mess is all your fault. Josie went off expecting a marriage proposal last night and because of what you said to Grant in front of that fence a few weeks back she's come home with a broken heart instead. Now you tell me what possible use callin' me back is gonna serve."

Walter cleared his throat. "Errr... I have to go Alice." he said in a tight and controlled voice.

He put down the receiver, swallowed and pulled at his collar and tie.

"I'm very sorry about that. Now where we?" he said giving his client a brief and uncomfortable smile.

His eyes met the piercing blue eyes of Daniel Tracy.

"We were discussing my farm Mr. Brown." Daniel Tracy said. "And the future of my son and me."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Marvin Landers rolled himself a cigarette and sat back in the corner of the bar with the first of his three evening beers.

He came here every night after work to relax, shoot a few games of pool and socialise. He didn't like going home in the evenings. His Father was an alcoholic and nine times out of ten was passed out on the couch when he arrived. If he wasn't unconscious he demanded money and Marvin had suffered more than enough bruises in his time for refusing to give in to his demands. So he knew having three beers, two games of pool and a chat with someone at the bar would give him the time buffer required for his Father to overdo it. Then he could go home and make himself some dinner.

And put his Father to bed.

Marvin wished sometimes his Mother had taken him with her when she had gone. She had been beaten by his Father for years and one day had simply packed her things and left. All he had found was a hastily written note on the kitchen table saying she loved him but she couldn't afford to take him too.

He had been in his last year of Junior High School when all that happened and with no other family to turn to he had fallen apart and gone off the rails. Despite his superior intelligence he never went on to High School and he was never going to make it to College.

So he worked in the local market, unpacking boxes, stacking shelves and chatting to the customers.

People identified him as a bit of a fool but even though Marvin knew he wasn't, he didn't mind what they said. The fun-loving facade he put on wherever he went hid the misery and loneliness of his real life. Joking about everything and everybody even made him forget about it for a while.

Marvin took a sip of his beer.

After the congestion in the market and the stress of the day the cold, delicious sensation was nothing but sheer magic.

It had been hell today coping without Josephine. The boss refused to call in temporary staff and it was hard trying to do everything at once. Marvin hoped Josephine was feeling better and would be back tomorrow. He didn't want another day like today.

He lit his cigarette and looked around the bar. There weren't very many people in for a Thursday. Thursday nights were when he had his most interesting conversations. But with the long, hard day he'd experienced at the market, he didn't really mind drinking alone.

He also didn't mind dwelling a little on Josephine.

Marvin Landers made no secret of the fact that he absolutely worshipped Josephine Brown. He had adored her since they met in the first grade and the depth of his love had not altered over the sixteen years he had known her. The pretty little six year old with the big blue eyes was now a beautiful young woman and those big blue eyes flashed with a sensuality that literally took his breath away.

He sighed glumly.

It was depressing to dwell on the fact that he would never get to know Josephine Brown in the intimate way he wanted. He had always thought being the Banker's daughter she was out of everyone's reach. So he had never tried to reach her until it was too late. By then a tall handsome young farmer who had less material possessions than he did had walked into the market , asked her for help for something trivial and within ten minutes had completely stolen her heart away.

Marvin frowned. He'd never forgiven Grant Tracy for the ease with which he won Josephine Brown's affections. He had been his unofficial nemesis ever since.

Other people finally started to come into the bar on their way home from work. Marvin noticed a group of well dressed, well spoken young professionals enter by the side door; four men, one woman. The young woman was tall and pretty with long brown hair and attractive blue eyes. Marvin recognised her immediately.

It was Victoria Brown, Josephine's sister.

Her eyes scanned the bar carefully, briefly pausing to rest on him.

Victoria had been a Grade below him in school and because she was Josephine's sister he'd had a fair bit to do with her. He smiled politely and watched with amusement as Victoria grappled within herself on how to react to seeing him. She couldn't be seen talking to a man who only worked in a market. She had to make an impression on her associates.

Marvin laughed inwardly. Would she acknowledge him in the presence of her attorney friends?

"Fifty bucks says she don't" he muttered to himself and took another sip of his beer.

Soon after Marvin congratulated himself that he should have been a gambling man. Sure enough Victoria Brown pretended she had never him before and quickly averted her eyes.

Marvin surveyed the young men she sat with. Black suits, shiny shoes, expensive ties and great big college educations. They were the most highly paid young men in the town. Victoria Brown only socialised in the circles that had the potential to give her the greatest material gain. Looking at the attorneys around her Marvin knew she was in the company that suited her best. Marvin still didn't know how she could possibly be Josephine Brown's sister. Josephine was so down to earth, open and friendly.

An hour passed and Victoria finally came to take her turn at the Bar. Marvin was drinking his third beer by now and had started to relax. She grimaced as she approached him.

Marvin ran his eyes over her as she came to stand beside him. She was slightly taller than Josephine, a little more solid but with the same pretty features and big blue eyes.

"How are you doin' tonight Tory?" he enquired grinning from ear to ear at her discomfort. "Or can't you be seen talkin' to a man like me?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. Marvin was such an idiot. He obviously thought his comments were witty.

"Hello Marvin." she replied in an annoyed voice.

"What'll it be Miss?" the bartender asked.

"Err… three scotch, one martini please."

Marvin rounded his lips in a surprised whistle.

"Martini huh? Boy you've sure come up in the world Tory. I remember a time when you wouldda been like Josie and just ordered yourself a beer."

Victoria didn't reply. She became acutely aware that her associates were listening.

"You want ice with the scotch?" the Bartender drawled.

Victoria looked back towards her friends. They all shook their heads.

"No thanks." she replied.

She stood waiting for the drinks tapping her long red fingernails impatiently on the bar. She glanced again at Marvin and he grinned back.

"I'm surprised to see you're still here." she observed quietly. "I didn't think you made enough money to be drinkin' in bars."

"I don't make the money your friends over there do Victoria." Marvin said matter-of-factly. "But I seem to manage all right."

Before Victoria could reply he saw another interesting subject enter the bar. Victoria's Father … Walter Brown. Marvin raised his eyebrows as he noticed Walter carried his overloaded briefcase in one hand and two bunches of red roses in the other.

He walked up to the bar and kissed Victoria on the forehead.

"Hello honey." he said wearily.

He looked at the bartender

"Bourbon when you're ready please." he said pleasantly. "No ice."

The Bartender nodded and then looked at Victoria.

"That'll be sixteen fifty Miss." the bartender said.

Walter shook his head and reached into the pocket of his suit coat for his wallet.

"I'll get it for you honey." he said.

She smiled.

"Thanks Daddy. You wanna come over to the table and join us for bit?"

Walter looked in the direction of the young attorneys.

"Err… not tonight Victoria. I've got to be getting home after this one."

Victoria looked at the flowers he had laid on the bar. They were beautiful and as Victoria knew would have been extremely expensive. She also knew her Father only ever brought flowers like that for one reason.

"Did you have a fight with Momma Daddy?" she asked looking him directly in the face.

Marvin's ears pricked up with interest. It looked like conversation at the bar this Thursday night was going to be a little more interesting than he thought.

Walter looked uncomfortable as he paid the bartender for the drinks.

"Mustta been a real big one." she observed.

Walter frowned.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Well I can't ever recall you havin' to buy two bunches to make things up to Momma." she replied.

Walter sighed.

"They're not both for your Mother Victoria." he began and then realised Marvin was listening. He lowered his voice and said quietly.

"One of the bunches is for Josephine."

"Josephine?" she exclaimed in surprise. "Why are you buying flowers for Josephine Daddy?"

Marvin strained his ears harder to hear. If they were discussing anything to do with Josephine he was avidly interested.

"There is a very good reason Josephine is getting the flowers Victoria." Walter said and downed half his bourbon. "A reason the two of us need to have a good talk about before you go home stirring her up and creating another family upset."

Victoria's face broke into a knowing grin. There was only one subject she knew would stir up Josephine.

Grant Tracy.

"She didn't get her engagement ring did she Daddy?" she said trying not to look like she was gloating.

"No." he replied carefully. "No she didn't."

Victoria's grin only became wider.

"I told her she wouldn't. Grant Tracy's got nothin' and the sooner she comes to grips with that and starts seein' someone with a bit more substance the better."

Walter swallowed the rest of his drink.

"Well from what your mother told me over the telephone today I think she finally has." he said, picking up his briefcase and preparing to leave.

"Victoria." he said. "Grant broke up with your sister last night."

As she stood in stunned silence he sighed and picked up the flowers.

"And according to your Mother it's all my fault."

Marvin Landers reached into his pocket to find some more change as Walter Brown left the bar headed for home.

He might just buy himself a fourth beer tonight.

That news had just made him the happiest man alive.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He grimaced a little and rubbed his back as he walked the length of the luscious, jasmine dotted hedges. He tried to take his mind off the pain by admiring the colour of the hedge and smelling the sweet scent of the jasmine.

Ellen had always said a neat green hedge was a nice alternative to a standard fence. He smiled to himself, fondly remembering how much she had wanted a hedge like this growing in front of the farmhouse.

"Too much upkeep and too much water." he had told her.

Water wasn't a commodity a man was able to waste on a hedge. The crop took priority when it came to water. Ellen accepted that.

"But other than that somethin' like this in front of the house wouldda looked damn fine Ellie." he mused.

He took a deep breath. Standing here pretending he was interested in a hedge was simply putting things off. He wasn't standing in front of Chase County hospital for nothing.

"Face the facts Tracy." he told himself. "You just don't wanna go in there and hear the bad news."

He was really worried and the excruciating pain in his back reminded him he had a very good reason to be.

He guessed he'd better go in. Old Doc Martin didn't take too kindly to the patient's being tardy. Besides it had taken him six months to put the money together to have the tests done in the first place. He at least owed it to himself to find out the results.

Daniel Tracy swallowed hard and strode down the pathway through the hedge and into the hospital. He let out a faint moan as the pain seared through his upper body again. He'd be glad to get some pain relief if nothing else.

He sat himself down in the waiting room ready to take his turn.

He looked around the waiting room. Lots of people. All waiting. All with worries of their own. He guessed he was just one of them. His thoughts drifted to his own worry at the moment.

Grant and how he was coping without Josephine.

The boy had not taken the break-up with Josephine well.

He had been working himself to the point of exhaustion for almost two months. He woke himself at dawn and was still on the tractor at nightfall seven days a week. He didn't speak, he didn't smile and he refused to leave the farm for anything. It was like he was trying to prove himself to someone and Daniel was at his wit's end to know what to do with him.

He was distracted from his thoughts by Dr. George Martin standing in front of him carrying a thick, blue envelope.

"Mr. Tracy." he said in a deep and pleasant voice. "Come through won't you?"

Daniel Tracy rose and followed him. The Doctor invited him to sit down.

"How have you been feeling this week Dan?" he began.

Daniel shifted his weight in the chair.

"Oh pretty goodly Sir." he replied. "My back's still a little troublesome but no sense growlin' about things as they say."

He looked at the Doctor who nodded.

"Gettin' any more pain further up since we spoke?"

"Bit more in the shoulders." Daniel admitted. "But that's to be expected. I do a lot of heavy liftin' Doctor Martin."

Doctor Martin wrote the details on his chart.

"My boy's been doin' most of the physical work like you suggested." Daniel added. "But sometimes it's a bit too much for one man to handle and I gotta help."

The Doctor frowned and flicked over the pages of the chart.

"Mr. Tracy, you say you've been getting this pain for a while now." he noted. "Would you say six months?"

Daniel Tracy thought for a moment.

"No Sir. It was closer to Thanksgiving I figure. I remember feelin' it in church and thinkin' my age was catchin' up to me."

He smiled nervously at the Doctor who smiled just as nervously back. Thanksgiving had been nine months ago.

"And how old are you now Dan?" he asked as he opened the envelope. Daniel Tracy watched him remove the contents.

"I'm sixty two Sir."

The Doctor scanned the results in silence. His face grew grim. Daniel saw it and felt obliged to say something.

"Pardon me for sayin' so Doc but by the looks of your face what you're readin' about me ain't good news." he commented.

"No Mr. Tracy..." he began." It isn't. I'm afraid I need to admit you to hospital immediately."

Daniel Tracy swallowed at the urgency in his tone especially as he had just used the last of his available cash to plant a new winter crop.

"Beggin' your pardon Dr. Martin but hospital ain't an option for me right now." he said quietly.

Doctor Martin removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Mr Tracy ... Daniel ... I'm serious."

Daniel Tracy looked directly back.

"So am I Sir."

Dr Martin shook his head.

"Daniel ... please ... these results suggest you've got a tumour the size of my fist in your lower back. We have to operate immediately and remove it... and then ... umm ... assess all the options after that."

Daniel closed his eyes and felt all the air leave his body. Deep down he knew what had been wrong and had been in a kind of silent denial. He'd been losing weight for a while but attributed it to hard work. The pain in his back had been getting steadily worse but he put it down to old age. He knew he should have sought medical treatment earlier but it was like what had happened to Ellen ... treatment wasn't free ... and it wasn't cheap.

"Doc ..." he began. "I don't have the money to pay for an operation right now." he replied.

"Daniel." he said bluntly. "You gotta find the money. This is urgent."

"I understand the urgency Sir." he said. "But I honestly can't afford to borrow no more from the bank. In six months when the crop comes off ..."

Dr. Martin interrupted him stonily.

"Daniel ... you don't have six months."

Daniel Tracy looked down at his rough, calloused fingers for a long time.

"Well Sir." he said softly. "I ain't got any choice when it comes to the money so I guess I just have to take my chances with the cancer then."

He rose from his chair and held out his hand.

"Thanks for seein' me all the same Doctor Martin. I sure appreciate your concern. If I find the money for the operation I'll be contactin' you."

Doctor Martin held out his hand and felt the strength and honesty of the hand that shook it.

Life simply wasn't fair.

"Mr. Tracy." he said as Daniel turned to go.

"Yes Sir?" Daniel replied.

"Please don't worry about today's account." he began.

Daniel Tracy shook his head.

"No Doc." he replied. "Fair day's work for a fair day's money."

"I'll fix things up on the way out."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The box was nearly thirty years old now and the plush red velvet had started to wear in places. He supposed something sitting idly in a drawer would tend to wear a bit, but despite the condition of the box, Daniel knew the contents it held were as elegant and perfect as they ever were.

He fiddled with the lid with clumsy, unco-ordinated fingers. His fingers were knotted and bent now and arthritis was starting to get the better of him. It made opening things difficult but as Daniel Tracy now knew arthritis was the least of his worries.

The box finally opened under his impatient handling and he looked down at the exquisite piece of jewellery nestled inside.

Ellen's engagement ring.

The six clear diamonds sparkled like new. The gold band shone brilliantly, accentuated by the black velvet inside the box.

Ellen had treasured this ring.

It was the only decent thing she'd had.

To Daniel Ellen's ring symbolised everything important in his memory.

The day he received a cheque for his first wheat crop.

The day he asked Ellen to marry him.

The day he did the only irresponsible thing he'd ever done in his life

Daniel smiled. He really should have paid the Bank Manager what he owed him that day but making Ellen his own was all he'd really cared about. So she got the most expensive engagement ring in the store and the Bank Manager got absolutely nothing.

Looking at the ring and reliving the memories Daniel Tracy felt like he was a young man again. A young man in love looking into the emerald green eyes of a beautiful young woman who was the centre of his life

The pain soon reminded him otherwise.

He wasn't young anymore and those beautiful emerald green eyes were gone now too. Eyes forced to close before their time.

"Guess it's my turn to suffer things like you did Ellie." he whispered.

Ellen had died of cancer too.

He looked at the ring one last time. It was worth a fortune and it could save his life.

If he sold it.

The hospital had given him an estimate of the costs and if he sold the ring for its proper value he would be able to have the operation. That was of course if he didn't stay on afterwards or have any further tests.

Daniel knew it was possible the operation would get all the cancer but there was the real risk it wouldn't or worse, that it had already spread. Given the amount of pain he was in, Daniel suspected that it had.

Then there was the cold harsh reality that, like Ellen, the operation might simply escalate things. Ellen had been doing fine before the operation. Less than two weeks after it she was dead.

He couldn't afford for something like that to happen to Grant again. Losing his Mother so swiftly had been traumatic enough. Daniel didn't want him to go through the same agony again. It was better if he simply didn't know.

He swallowed hard and snapped the box shut.

He had promised Ellen on her death-bed no-one else would wear her precious ring other than the young woman their son decided to take as his wife.

He couldn't let Ellen down and deep down in his heart Daniel still hoped and prayed the feisty young lady his son still loved with all of his heart would someday be allowed to marry him.

He placed the box back in the drawer of the sideboard.

Selling Ellen's ring was not an option.

It was meant for Josephine.

He reflected on his decision for a few more moments before opening another drawer and sifting through his personal papers.

He guessed he'd had a pretty good innings in this life.

It was time to start getting his affairs in order.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The thick wrought iron bars of the fence veered almost from the bare earth and loomed up ominously in the rapidly fading light. The cold, hard steel was almost as desolate and uninviting as this dreadful lonely place they enclosed.

The iron bars were old and rusted but despite their appearance they asserted their complete dominance in the landscape with a silent statement no-one who passed by could ignore.

"All who live and breathe on this earth, regardless of their wealth, end up here."

Josephine Brown shuddered and pulled her calf-length black coat closer to her body. Despite it's warmth she'd long since lost all feeling in her body. She tried to keep herself from shivering but this miserable lonely place only made her feel colder.

Her eyes looked with empathy in the direction of the young man who sat alone on the small timber bench, head bowed in total devastation.

The service had been dignified and simple; a true reflection of the dignified and simple life it was intended to honour. But it had ended almost two hours ago and the few people who had come to pay their last respects to Daniel Tracy had long since taken their leave. Josephine had counted ten including Grant and the Minister.

The Minister had gone now too.

And Grant had been left alone.

Josephine watched him in silence.

One of the two men who had been patiently waiting nearby finally approached him and entered into a brief conversation. The man patted his back sympathetically.

Obviously it would dark soon and they wanted to finish up for the day. They needed to fill in the grave.

They had asked him if he minded leaving.

Josephine's heart lurched as she watched him rise slowly from the bench, take one last look at the open grave and its surroundings and turn away miserably. He began to walk, head bowed towards the cemetery gates.

The two men waited until he was near the gates before starting up the machinery to finish their work.

Josephine swallowed as he neared her.

She really didn't know what she was going to say to him. They hadn't seen each other or spoken for over six months.

She moved from her inconspicuous position near the fence to stand in the middle of the roadway.

He stopped as she stepped into his path.

Their dark blue eyes met.

Josephine's filled with tears. He looked dreadful; pale, shrunken and grief-stricken.

"Hey there stranger." she said quietly.

"Josephine." he breathed gratefully, "It's so good to see you."

His own eyes filled with tears too.

Instinctively she moved forward to hug him. Her arms encircled his waist and her head rested against his strong young chest. She felt his arms wrap around her.

"I was so sorry when I heard about your Father Grant." she whispered looking up at him.

"Thank you Josie." he replied. "Daddy'd be real happy to know you were here with me right now. He was real fond of you."

The two of them embraced in silence near the fence for almost five minutes.

Finally they felt obliged to break apart and the two of them stood facing each other awkwardly. She pulled her coat about her shoulders trying to think of something to say. He folded his arms in front of his body attempting to do the same.

"So how you've been anyway?" he asked uncomfortably

"I'm doin' OK I guess." she replied. "Keepin' myself busy. Well most of the time anyway."

He nodded and looked away.

"Yeah." Me too."

A painful silence followed.

"How about your folks?" he enquired.

"They're fine thank you Grant. Daddy said I was to say he was sorry he couldn't make it to the funeral."

She paused for a few moments before continuing,

"He also said if you need any money for ...um... things ... just to come in to the Bank and see him."

Grant shook his head.

"I already paid for the funeral Josephine but please thank your Daddy for his offer."

Josephine reached out and took both of his hands in hers.

"Grant I know things are over between us and all..." she began earnestly. "...but if there's anything I can do out at the farm…"

Grant Tracy squeezed her hands.

"No thanks Josephine." he replied. "I gotta learn to stand on my own two feet now."

He leaned forward and lightly kissed her forehead.

"Well I got to be getting myself home I suppose. There's only me now and I got a lot of things to do."

At her understanding nod he added.

"Thanks for coming all the way out here Josie. It was real nice to see you again. "

She smiled but it was a smile tempered with real sadness.

"That's OK Grant. It was nice to see you again too."

He looked into her eyes. She was so beautiful.

She looked into his. She would never stop loving him.

"Well … um … bye then ma'am." he said releasing her hands and pushing his deep into the jacket pockets of his Father's old black suit. He turned and began to walk away from her.

Josephine watched him leave the cemetery with an aching heart.

"Bye handsome." she whispered as a stray tear rolled down her cheek. "You take good care of yourself now."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Her words echoed in her head as she drove back towards the town. Grant's thin and gaunt appearance had genuinely shocked her. He looked terrible.

Josephine frowned and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel of the car. She doubted he'd eaten a decent meal in weeks. She knew he wouldn't eat when he went home tonight either. He'd go home, lock down the barn and go to bed.

To her mind came all the meals she had shared with Grant and his Father at the farmhouse. The Tracy family didn't have much in the way of material wealth but they gladly shared anything they had at suppertime.

Meals of vegetable soup and bread were commonplace and Josephine recalled spending many a happy night sitting in front of the cosy fire, sipping the soup and listening to Daniel Tracy talk about life and love when he was young. He told such fabulous stories that what was on offer for dinner was the furthest thing from her mind. Josephine enjoyed every single moment of it, snuggled up with Grant next to the fire and listening to Daniel's gentle southern drawl.

Josephine felt the tears prick her eyelids. She had been so fond of Daniel Tracy.

She wished she could do something to ease the pain she saw in Grant's eyes. She knew he had nursed his Father in the last three weeks of his life and seeing his Father die in front of him would have been devastating.

In another time and in another place she would have encouraged him to rely on her for support.

But he had rejected her and even though she still loved him, she hadn't been able to forgive him for that.

Her mind veered back to the nights in front of the fire.

"Family and friends." Daniel had said to them. "If you got both, you're a mighty rich man."

Her eyes filled with tears.

Grant had no-one now.

No family.

No friends.

Josephine swallowed and hardened her heart against the feelings which were rearing up inside her.

No, she couldn't allow herself to feel sorry for him after what he had done to her. She was still getting over that night in the truck.

"Besides I went out there today for Mr Tracy." she tried to convince herself. "Not Grant."

She reached the turnoff to the house.

The night was cold and she knew her Mother was expecting her for dinner. It was her parents wedding anniversary and her Father had said he was bringing home a bottle of expensive champagne to celebrate the occasion. She could sure use a drink after standing in the cemetery for so damn long.

The cemetery reminded her of Daniel Tracy.

"Family and friends... if you got both, you're a mighty rich man."

Josephine looked at the street sign and pictured the happy times they had shared together at the farmhouse.

Despite the fact he had broken her heart she was still Grant Tracy's friend.

And he didn't deserve to be alone tonight.

She fixed her eyes determinedly on the road and headed into town.

Marvin Landers would still be in the bar having his three evening beers.

He could open the market for her.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Grant Tracy blinked his tired eyes as he carried the last of his Father's belongings into his old bedroom.

He looked at the eight cartons stacked neatly against the wall and allowed a dismal sigh to pass through his lips. It wasn't much to show for a man who'd lived in these four walls for nearly sixty three years.

"But you never really wanted much in your life did you Daddy" he thought running his hand over the final carton. "All you ever wanted was the opportunity to provide for your family… and in the end to be with Momma."

At that point he wished so badly that he could feel something.

Anything.

Anger.

Grief.

Regret.

But he had been numb for four days; ever since Daniel Tracy had drawn his last breath in front of him.

He opened the closet. He guessed he should start moving his own clothes too. Looking at the three good shirts and two pairs of trousers hanging up in front of him he supposed that wasn't going to take him too long.

"At twenty five I ain't even got enough things to fill up one box." he reflected. "Unless I count my workin' clothes. Guess that'd fill two."

He reached forward and removed his clothing from the closet and carried it into his Father's bedroom. As he put the items away he looked around at the shabby walls.

They badly needed a paint. He wished he could afford to do that.

"One day." he told himself. "But I gotta get the crop off first else I won't have a farmhouse left to paint."

His eyes scanned the rest of the room. The curtains were old and faded. The bed needed a good coat of varnish. The covers and dilapidated blankets underneath needed replacing. Grant knew they were immaculately clean but they were as old as he was.

His Father had tried to joke about that only a few days before he died.

"Don't you be gettin' all apologetic for the condition of these here surroundings son." he had wheezed trying to breathe through the pain. "I got mighty fond memories of being with your momma in this bed and I sure ain't complainin' about that."

For a few fleeting moments he allowed himself to think about Josephine. It had been so good to see her today and feel her arms around him. But one look at that beautiful face had also driven home the truth. Despite working himself into the ground for six months trying to forget her he still loved Josephine Brown with all of his heart.

He looked at the bed in front of him and to his mind came that night in the barn. The night he began to make love to her.

And stopped.

"This is the where I wanted to take your innocence Josephine." he swallowed looking at the bed. "Here in our marriage bed."

He closed his eyes to shut out the memory.

He guessed another man would take her innocence now.

A man her Father approved of because he had wealth and a future.

Grant clamped his jaw angrily at the thought of Josephine in any other man's arms but his.

"Money." he spat striding down the hallway in discontent. "Everything's always about money."

He stood out on the verandah of the farmhouse and looked towards the darkened wheat fields. His eyes lifted to the heavens pleading for rain. He had to get a crop off and start to pay back his debts to the Bank.

It was the only way he would ever be allowed to have Josephine Brown.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Marvin you GOTTA open the market for me!" she insisted, grabbing him by his shirt sleeve and trying to drag him towards the door. "It's really, really important."

Marvin Landers shook his head vehemently. He'd had the busiest most exhausting day he had ever had in his life at that market today and there was no way in hell he was going anywhere.

"Josie." he frowned. "I'm tired and all I wanna do is sit here, drink my beer and take myself home."

Josephine frowned too. The market was only across the street and she couldn't go out to the farmhouse empty handed.

"Marvin!" she began again pulling him so hard he nearly toppled off the bar stool. "I need this favour and I ain't takin' no for an answer."

He continued to shake his head.

"Josephine I do you enough favours as it is." he moaned. "Look at today for example. I covered for you so you could go runnin' off to Mr Tracy's funeral. It's hell in that market when you're not there. I don't know if I'm comin' or goin' half the time."

Her tone lightened and she released her grip on his sleeve.

"I'm sorry." she said a little less officiously. "Sounds like you had a rough day."

"Damn right I did." he said in a ruffled voice. "Now how 'bout sittin' down with me and havin' a beer or somethin'?"

"No Marvin." she began again. " I'm goin' out to make dinner for Grant at the farmhouse and I need you to open the market for me."

She looked at him with her beautiful dark blue eyes.

"Please …I'll make it worth your while."

Martin rolled his eyes.

"Now how are you gonna do somethin' like that Josephine?" he scoffed in disbelief. "You only make as much money at that market as I do."

"I know I can't pay you anything." she admitted. "But I was thinkin' more about agreein' to go out with you."

Marvin coloured and looked her squarely in the face. He'd been asking Josephine to go out with him on an almost weekly basis since she'd broken up with Grant. Up until now she had steadfastly refused.

"What are you starin' at me like for Marvin?" she frowned. "It's a fair exchange ain't it? You open the market. I'll let you take me out."

Marvin thought he'd better slap himself first to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He hadn't been on a date since Junior High School. But he quickly became suspicious. If she and Grant were no longer together what was she doing heading out to the Farmhouse to make him dinner?

"Uh ... Josie..." he stammered."You sure you don't belong to Grant no more?"

Josephine tossed her head defiantly.

"Can you see an engagement ring sittin' on my finger Marvin Landers?"

"N..N... No ma'am." he stuttered.

"Well any sort of thinkin' man would know that means I don't belong to no-one."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Now do we have a deal or not?"

This was all too good to be true. Marvin narrowed his eyes doubtfully.

"You tell me where we're gonna go when we go out first."

"Oh Marvin what difference does that make to anything?" she said in exasperation. "I dunno. I'll go wherever you want."

She pulled at his sleeve impatiently and nearly pulled him off his chair again.

"You better not be joshin' with me Josephine." he warned as he rose to his feet and fished about in his pocket for the keys. "I'm holdin' you to this."

"I don't josh no-one." she said grabbing him by the hand and dragging him out of the bar. "Next Saturday night OK? You and me."

Marvin Landers smiled happily.

After all this time he couldn't believe his luck.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

She looked up at the clock and saw it was nearly ten o'clock.

She bit her lip and wondered if she should ring her parents and tell them where she was.

She put down her knife and fork in the centre of her plate.

She looked across the table where he sat.

He hadn't eaten a thing.

"Gee Grant I knew I wasn't the greatest cook in the world." she said trying to make conversation. "But I didn't think I was that bad."

He looked up at her absently as he traced his fork through the mashed potatoes on the side of his plate.

"I'm sorry Josie." he said. "This is all real nice and I appreciate you comin' all the way out here to provide for me … but I just don't feel like eatin' right now."

The tracing continued.

"Can't stop thinkin' about Daddy ... and how he had to suffer like that."

She continued to look at him in silence.

"Couldda told me he needed an operation." he murmured. "Wouldda found a way to raise the money if he did."

He put down his fork and looked over at her.

"But he never said nothin' to me till it was too late Josephine. Nothin' at all."

Josephine reached out and took his hand in hers. She squeezed it reassuringly.

"I know." she whispered.

"It all comes down to money don't it?" he observed. "What you do in your life, who you become."

He paused and then added painfully. "Even how miserably you die."

She cleared her throat and said in a quiet husky voice.

"Grant ... money ain't everything."

He fixed his cobalt eyes on hers.

"Beggin' your pardon Josephine ... you're wrong. Havin' money was everything to Daddy when he needed that operation."

He continued to berate himself.

"Rather have sold momma's ring to keep Daddy alive than sellin' it to bury him."

Her heart sank.

"You sold your mother's ring?" she breathed in disappointment.

He looked at her hopelessly.

"Josie ... I didn't have nothin' else to sell except for the farm ... and Daddy made me promise him before he died that I wouldn't sell it."

"But Grant …" she said with tears in her eyes. "It was your momma's."

He slammed his fist into the table in frustration.

"Josephine I know it was mommas and I know how much it meant to Daddy." he snapped. "But out here you have to face the cold hard facts of life. You gotta make choices whether you want to or not."

"I know Grant but that ring was important. Your Daddy told us so many wonderful stories about the day he bought it ."

"Givin' my Daddy a decent burial was more important than any stupid God damned ring Josephine. "he said matter-of-factly.

He lowered his voice and added. "And there was not a chance in all hell that I was going to go to that Bank and beggin' your Father for money."

Josephine was taken back by his last comment. As far as she knew her Father's offer to help had been genuine.

He paused to add. "Besides a ring's a ring when it don't mean nothin' no more so what's the God damn difference."

He glared at her and then stared down at his plate in silence.

Josephine bit her lip and said nothing further.

The clock ticked loudly on the wall. It was the only sound in the room.

After a few minutes he rubbed his hand across his tired eyes and quavered.

"I'm sorry Josephine. I ain't myself tonight."

After a while he added.

"Ain't been myself for six goddamn months."

He picked up his fork again and tried to eat some of the meal she'd cooked for him but he simply couldn't swallow. He resorted to pushing things around on his plate from one side to the other.

Josephine continued to watch him, her heart reeking with pain. Everything inside her wanted to hold him and offer some sort of comfort … but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He had said he didn't love her anymore.

She saw him turn away from the table and wipe the tears from his eyes. She watched as his lips trembled with grief.

Her resolve broke. She didn't care if he didn't love her anymore or that she was still hurt at the things he had said. She loved him and she could see he needed her.

She quietly moved from her place at the table and eased herself into the chair beside him. Slowly her hand reached out and closed over his. She squeezed it with a strength that came from deep within her. His own hand became motionless under the force and intensity of her grasp. He turned his head to look at her in silence.

Dark blue met dark blue.

Neither set of eyes flinched this time.

"I'm here for you Grant." she said in an unwavering, steady voice. "If you need me."

Both sets of eyes continued to lock.

Josephine felt her arms open.

"Grant. You don't have to face this alone." she encouraged.

He automatically moved towards the comfort of her outstretched arms. He felt them close around his shoulders, drawing him to her.

He rested his head against hers.

Grant closed his eyes and felt the warmth and security radiate from Josephine Brown's strong young body.

Secure in her embrace he allowed himself to feel emotion again, something he had refused to allow himself to do for months.

He felt pain. Pain at being left behind to grieve alone.

He felt anger. Anger that he had not been able to do something to help save his Father's life.

Above all he felt grief; a feeling that tore through his soul and rose up without warning through his tired work-weary body.

Before he knew what had happened to him, Grant heard himself release a long, uncontrollable sob.

Then another.

He tried to contain it but he felt those arms tighten around him harder.

A third sob came easily.

And a fourth.

"Let it out Grant." she whispered rocking him to and fro. "It's OK to cry honey. He was your Daddy."

"Josie." he sobbed as he began to break down. "I can't go on no more."

She felt herself bury her head in his neck.

"Of course you can." she swallowed, tears welling in her eyes too. "You have to keep going. It's what your Daddy would have wanted."

His lips touched the top of her head.

"I can't."

Her lips brushed his throat.

"You have to."

Both of them now sobbed with the emotion of his loss.

His lips touched her cheek.

"I can't Josie."

Her lips brushed his chin.

"Yes you can Grant."

Their lips finally met with a passion, and an intensity they had never experienced before. A passion inflamed by six months of denial of their feelings for each other and fuelled by the emotion of Daniel Tracy's death. His hands ran across her shoulders and through her hair. Hers tightened around him harder. Neither of them wanted to stop.

Desperately they broke apart and stared at each other in horror.

Josephine ran her hand over her lips and averted her eyes.

"Grant I ... I think I'd better go." she heaved rising to her feet.

His hand reached out to grasp hers.

"No Josie." he begged.

She shook her head. This had to stop now. Her true feelings for Grant were beginning to surface and she knew once they did she would not be able to hold them in check.

"Grant ... if I stay here any longer the two of us might do something we'll both regret." she said.

He stood up too and pulled her masterfully into his arms. He pressed her into his body with an urgency even he could no longer control.

"Josephine." he pleaded. " Please... I ... I need you."

She could feel his urgency against her and felt herself beginning to yield to her own desire to become one with him.

"No Grant ..." she began.

"I want you so bad Josephine." he admitted. "If I never have nothin' else again all I want is to be able to love you once with every part of part of me."

"Please Josie." he whispered. "Just once."

She lifted her eyes to his. She couldn't fight her feelings for him any longer.

"Love me Grant." she breathed closing her eyes as his lips touched her throat. "Love me like you were gonna love me in the barn. I don't care if we never get to be together in a marriage bed. Just let me feel what it's like to be with you... just once.

He began to shake his head, common sense returning,but suddenly everything inside himsnapped. He picked her up in his arms and staggered blindly in the direction of his Father's bedroom. Towards the bed in which he had always dreamed he would take the innocence of Josephine Brown.

Six months before in the barn of the Tracy farmhouse he had gazed upon the body of Josephine Brown in the half light of a hurricane lamp.

Six months later in the marriage bed his Father had shared with his Mother he gazed upon the body of Josephine Brown once more. This time there was no hurricane lamp, no dingy, dark surroundings. Only the four walls of a special bedroom and a tiny bedside light.

He had stopped himself from loving her in the barn but as they lay together for the first time as a man and a woman, nothing, not even his conscience was going to stop him now.

"Josie." he swallowed as her touch took him to the brink.

"Grant." she said breathless at his urgency. "Please take things slow … I …I ain't ever done nothin' like this before."

"Neither have I." he confessed and closed his eyes to keep himself under control.

"Josie...it feels ..." he pleaded.

He could hold himself back from her no longer.

"Grant…" she whispered. "I don't want to wait no more either. "

She braced herself as Grant Tracy rose above her and dominated her completely.

For three years he had waited to express the love he felt for Josephine Brown.

As their bodies locked together in his Father's marriage bed his marathon wait was over.

The minutes passed and his intensity rose,and like his Father before him Grant Tracy forgot he was a simple Farmer living in a broken down old farmhouse.

He was a man.

She was no longer the Banker's daughter living a life of affluence.

She was a woman.

Finally the moment came when he could contain himself no longer. He gasped as all the love and pent up emotion he felt flooded into the body of Josephine Brown.

In the minutes which followed he lay unable to speak.

Still deep within her he grasped her even closer to his body and began to cry like a child.

"I'm so sorry Josie." he sobbed. "But I'll always love you like this no matter what. With all I have within me."

She clasped him to her.

"It's OK." she whispered. "I'm not sorry."

Eventually his sobs subsided and they finally lay in each other's arms in the moonlight. Neither of them spoke. His lips brushed her beautiful features as he held her.

"Oh Josie..." he murmured. "My precious baby girl."

She lay across his naked chest. There was nowhere else she would rather be.

Grant pictured the sandstone fence and the impenetrable barrier Walter Brown had built around his family in an effort to keep him away.

The barrier had not been strong enough. Their love for each other had overcome it. It was time for Walter Brown to acknowledge that.

As Grant Tracy held her close to his heart his determination and inner resolve built.

No matter what her Father had said to him in the past he was damned if anyone was going to take Josephine away from him now.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He thought he heard the rumbling of thunder above the farmhouse but as he opened his eyes and focussed in the half-light of the dawn he knew he had to be dreaming.

There hadn't been any decent rain for months.

He also heard the front door of the farmhouse rattle and a loud pounding followed.

That pounding was no dream and was becoming louder.

Grant clamoured out of the double bed and hurriedly pulled on his undershirt and trousers. As the knock became more intense he looked back to where she lay fast asleep under the covers.

He moved to open the front door as he heard the thunder boom loudly again. His eyes grew round with fright.

Standing in front of him, his face livid with rage was Walter Brown.

Walter pushed past him and stormed into the hallway.

"Where the hell is my daughter?" he insisted. "Do you realise I've been searching for her all God damned night?"

He turned back to look at Grant.

"Well?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

"M...M...Mr Brown Sir." he stammered. "Josephine is here but errr...umm... she's mighty indisposed right now."

"What do you mean mighty indisposed?" Walter Brown demanded. "Grant... I want to see my daughter and I want to see her right now!"

Grant Tracy looked back nervously towards his bedroom.

"Mr. Brown Josephine's asleep at the moment and I don't think it's necessary for me to be wakin' her."

Walter Brown's eyes widened as he finally realised Josephine had spend the night with Grant.

Before he could contain himself he lunged forward and grasped Grant Tracy by his undershirt. The two men eyed each other dangerously.

"You listen here to me boy." he said through gritted teeth. "That girl in there is my daughter."

"I'm the last person who'd ever dispute the fact she's your daughter Mr. Brown." Grant replied trying to remain calm. "And if you don't mind Sir I'd appreciate it if you released your hold on me. I don't want no trouble around here."

Walter looked up into the irate eyes of the young Tracy son. His pupils were dilated and almost black. In the silence the thunder rumbled again and a large flash of lightening zig-zagged across the horizon.

After a few precarious minutes Walter relaxed his grip and pushed Grant away from him.

"You'll be getting more than trouble from me if anything happens to Josie as a result of this." he warned through clenched teeth. "I can't believe you would take advantage of my daughter. How can you tell her you don't want to see her anymore and then turn around and use her like this?"

Grant's face took on a look of complete offence.

"I ain't ever taken advantage of your daughter and I sure as hell have never used her. "he flashed. "In case you've forgotten Mr Brown, I wanted to marry Josie and if you wouldda let me, she'd be sleepin' next to me all proper and legal by now."

He stood up to his full height, squared his jaw and eyed Walter Brown.

"I didn't mean for this to happen anymore than she did Sir but what we did in my Daddy's bed last night was out of love for each other and I ain't apologising for it."

Walter eyed him in return. His blood pressure soared.

"Well you'll be doing more than apologising next time you hope to rely on my good graces to keep your farm afloat boy. I think losing your Daddy has given you some sort of amnesia when it comes to remembering who the hell you're dealing with."

Grant's bottom lip trembled with rage.

"Oh I know who I'm dealin' with all right Mr Brown." he spat. "You're the Bank Manager my Daddy feared more than anyone on this earth else you took away his farm. You're the Bank Manager Daddy told me I had to bow and scrape to every day of my life if I wanted to make somethin' of myself. But I want to tell you somethin' right now Mr. Brown. While you're standin' here in my house uninvited and accusing me of usin' your daughter you ain't the Bank Manager in my eyes. You ain't anybody."

"No." Walter growled. "But I'm Josephine's God-damn Father."

Grant pressed his lips together trying to control himself.

"Least you and me agree on somethin' then." he replied. "And as Josephine's Father you got every right to object to me. But you never even told me what your objections are. Ain't I intelligent enough for you Mr. Brown? Hardworking enough? Decent enough?"

Walter interjected.

"You call THAT decent?" he bellowed pointing towards the bedroom.

Grant raised his voice over him.

"IT IS DECENT SIR." he yelled in complete frustration and then realised the whole situation was beginning to escalate out of control. He swallowed hard and forced himself to lower his voice.

"Mr Brown I love Josephine." he said as calmly as he could. "Six months ago I came to you as her Daddy and asked your permission to marry her. You didn't answer me as her Daddy. You didn't even give me a chance Sir."

He paused and looked at him accusingly. "All you did was answer me like the Bank Manager and because of who you are and what you could do to our Farm my Daddy told me I had no option but to accept that."

He lifted his chin and added rebelliously

"Well my Daddy's dead now Sir and I want you to know that I don't accept your answer to me no more."

"And why the HELL did you accept it for in the first place?"

The voice behind them held enough venom to kill a thousand men.

Walter Brown paled.

Grant veered scarlet.

Both of them turned towards the voice.

Standing in the doorway wearing a mask of silent fury was Josephine. Her feet and legs were bare, her hair was dishevelled from sleep and all she wore over her naked body was Grant's old discarded shirt.

Walter Brown was appalled at her appearance.

"Josephine." he barked. "Go and put some clothing on your back right NOW."

"I got clothing on my back Daddy." she said defiantly. "It just ain't mine."

Grant finally managed to pull himself together.

"Josie ..." he stammered. "I ...I ...didn't know you were standin' there."

She fixed her angry glare on him.

"Well that's damned obvious ain't it?" she spat. "If you knew I was standin' there the whole time you wouldda kept your mouth well and truly shut."

Her eyes flashed with anger and she was making absolutely no attempt to hide it.

"How dare you Grant!" she exploded. "How dare you ask Daddy if you could marry me without askin' me

first."

She took a deep breath and added. "How dare you walk away from me just because he said no. "

"Josephine please calm down." he pleaded. "I had to break things off. You heard what your Daddy said just now."

Josephine folded her arms and threw her Father a deathly stare.

"Oh I heard him all right. I heard both of you."

She now focussed her wrath on her Father.

"You knew why Grant broke up with me all the time didn't you Daddy?"

At Walter's awkward silence she added. "You knew everything and you never said nothin'. Gave me a bunch of stupid flowers and acted like it was some great big surprise."

Walter finally opened his mouth to speak but she silenced him.

"Don't you dare say anything Daddy. You had no right doing that to me."

She swung back to Grant.

"And you had no right doin' what you did to me in that night in the truck either."

She continued to rail at him.

"Lyin' about havin' other priorities and sayin' there was no time for me. " she raged. "You should have told me the truth Grant and let me make up my own mind about things. I can't stand anyone takin' me for a fool and I ain't havin' nothin' further to do with anyone who does. And that means the both of you!"

She pushed past the two of them and stormed through the front door, down the stairs and out towards the picket fence.

The violent wind blew her hair furiously about her neck and shoulders but Josephine Brown was too angry to notice or care about the threat of the impending storm.

Grant looked at Walter Brown who stood dumbfounded in the doorway. Obviously Walter didn't know what to do next.

Grant turned, taking the stairs two at a time and strode after her.

"Josephine!" he demanded, his voice almost drowned out by the wild rustling of the trees around the farmhouse. "You come back in here right now. I don't want you out here in this. It's dangerous and you're not decent."

Livid with rage she ignored him and flung open the gate to the white picket fence.

"Leave me alone Grant." she fumed. "I don't have to listen to nothin' you say."

To Grant's mind came his Father's words.

"Gotta be firm with her for another."

Well if he was going to be firm now was the time.

"Josephine!" he insisted. "I just told you that you ain't to go any further."

"The hell I'm not!" she fumed banging the gate shut between them.

Grant pulled the gate back open with so much force he nearly pulled it off its hinges. He reached out his hand, grasped her shoulder and swung her around wildly to face him. He looked her firmly in the eyes.

"I said the hell you are Josephine."

The two of them eyeballed each other.

He lowered his voice and added.

"Not dressed like that anyway."

The tone of his voice immediately settled her down. Grant had never spoken to her like that before.

There was another flash of lightening and as they stared at each other in fury, the rain began to fall over the farm.

" You lied to me." she accused as her eyes filled with angry tears. "You lied and let me think this farm meant more to you than I did."

Grant's eyes filled too.

"Well it don't all right? Nothin' means more to me than you Josephine. You know that."

"No I don't know that." she continued as the tears spilled over. "You were willin' to give up Grant without even fightin' for me."

Grant looked her squarely in the face.

"I never wanted to give you up. I've already tried to explain to you that I had to."

"I told you the night you ended things with me Grant, you don't have to do nothin' you don't wanna do." she sobbed angrily. "You're a man ain't you? Can't you decide for yourself?"

The rain was becoming really heavy now. It poured from the sky like a torrent, drenching the thirsty earth and bathing it in life-giving moisture.

Grant took her arm and tried to guide her back to the farmhouse.

"Josie please let's talk about this inside." he pleaded. "You're soakin' wet to the skin and you ain't wearin' nothin' under that shirt of mine either."

She stood firm and continued to stare at him.

"For goodness sake Josie." he said more forcefully. "That shirt is becomin' obscene."

She tore her arm from his grasp.

"I don't care if I ain't wearin' anything at all!" she railed. "I told you I won't have nothin' to do with a man who lies to me or a man who ain't man enough to make his own decisions. I mean it Grant. It might be good enough for you but it ain't good enough for me."

He looked at her intensely determined face and her beautiful features and remembered the passionate love they had made only a few hours before. He reached out and wrenched her into his arms. She struggled to wrest herself away from him.

"Josephine stop this damned nonsense!" he demanded fiercely gripping her tighter in an attempt to calm her down. "Please just listen to what I'm sayin' for once. I know I was lyin' in the truck about not wantin' you in my life but you gotta understand I only said that because I felt I wasn't good enough for you."

She ceased to struggle against him and looked into his face in disbelief.

"Do you love me Grant?" she demanded as the water poured down her face.

"Dammit Josie of course I do." he snapped as the water poured down his own. "We just shared somethin;' special didn't we? What sortta stupid question is that?"

She lifted her chin insolently.

"Prove it." she challenged.

There was a stunned silence.

"Go on then." she commanded. "Go back in that farmhouse right now and tell my Daddy you're gonna marry me no matter what he thinks and no matter what he does to you or your precious God-damned farm. Then and only then I'll believe you Grant."

They stared at each other as the rain became heavier still and the lightening flashed all around them.

"Well?" she barked. "Are you prepared to do that for me or not?"

Grant broke down.

"Don't do this to me Josephine." he begged. "Don't you understand? That's your Daddy's point. The farm is all I have. There's nothing left to give you other than what you see here."

Josephine wished she could hit him. He was so stupid sometimes.

"For God's sake Grant why can't you understand I don't want no more than what I see here." she sobbed. "Haven't you worked out in your stupid head after three goddamn years that all I want is YOU?"

He swallowed and stared at her with disbelieving eyes.

She swallowed too.

"I don't care about money and havin' things for the sake of it. I care about bein' happy and wakin' up next to someone I love. You're that someone Grant Tracy even without a dime to your name."

Grant didn't know what to say to her. What she wanted was all he had ever wanted too.

His mouth moved but no sound came out.

But the Banker's daughter could not wait for him to speak any longer.

Trapped in his arms she steeled herself and said it all for him.

"Marry me Grant."

At his stunned silence she added.

"I mean it. There ain't nothin' my Daddy or this whole damned world can throw at you that we can't get through together."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Author's Note - Well - Will he or won't he? Of course he will but at what price? Please review.

NEXT CHAPTER - The Epilogue - Grant and Josephine Tracy - The Family that began a Dynasty

A Fence - "A protective barrier for something dear"

A Family - "A group of like individuals"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	4. Story 1 Epilogue A Family Creates a Dy...

Author's Note: -Thank you for reviewing the previous Chapter. The epilogue for this story now follows.Owing to the number of people who have Emailed and made suggestions, I have accommodated these and divided the outcome of this special love story into two parts. Part Two of the Epilogue will be uploaded in a few days. mcj  
  
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
  
FENCES & FAMILIES   
  
STORY ONE - EPILOGUE PART 1- GRANT AND JOSEPHINE TRACY  
  
A FAMILY CREATES A DYNASTY   
  
Picture a Fence - ""A protective barrier for something dear"  
  
then  
  
Picture a Family - "A group of like individuals  
  
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
  
It was Saturday night in the quiet little town in southern Kansas.  
  
But tonight was no ordinary Saturday night.  
  
For the first time in many months, the sleepy main street had come alive with people and activity.   
  
There was a dance to go to over in the community hall, heads were down playing bingo in the local church hall and the out of town Farmers were back in the bar enjoying a few well earned drinks.  
  
The rain had made such a difference to everyone and after so many years of drought there was a feeling of hopefulness in the air.   
  
Amongst the bustle and activity, the two of them walked along the street together, hand in hand. She looked up at him, laughed and pointed in the shop windows. He smiled and looked there too. To those who passed them by they looked like just another young couple in love.  
  
But there was much more to it than that.   
  
He fixed his eyes on her and gazed lovingly in her direction.  
  
Long brown hair, big blue eyes, finely moulded body and the face of an angel.   
  
Josephine Alice Brown.   
  
The love of his life.  
  
He could hardly believe after all this time she was finally his.  
  
He let out a massive sigh.  
  
Even if it was only for one night.  
  
Marvin Landers knew he was on borrowed time when it came to the affections of Josephine Brown. She had promised to date him the night he agreed to open the market for her, and he was determined to hold her to the promise. But once tonight was over, the promise had been kept and Marvin knew he had to let her go.  
  
Even though they would continue to work together every day at the market, he and Josephine would go their separate ways. He would return to his mundane life of loneliness. She would return to the arms of Grant Tracy.  
  
Marvin shrugged.   
  
Despite accepting the inevitable, the night was still young and he didn't have to give her back yet.  
  
And he intended to make the most of things before he did.   
  
He bit his lip and began to feel anxious.  
  
It was a pity things hadn't gone too well so far.  
  
The movie he had taken her to see earlier in the evening had been terrible and the two of them sat side by side in the back seat of the theatre in disbelief. He was speechless with disappointment. She was shaking with hysteria and trying not to make a sound.  
  
"I can't believe you spent good money paying for me to see this." she finally whispered close to his ear.  
  
"I can't believe I'm wasting valuable time pretending to watch it with you." he complained.  
  
They sat for a while longer until Josephine's giggling became all too much for him. He wanted her to have a good time and enjoy being with him, not treat him like everyone else did and laugh herself senseless.  
  
"Oh for goodness sakes Josie let's just get ourselves the heck outta here." he had frowned.  
  
"I thought you'd never ask." she exclaimed, rising to her feet and happily following him out of the theatre.  
  
Once outside on the sidewalk she leaned against a light pole, folded her arms and burst into laughter.   
  
"That was so terrible Marvin Landers." she admonished him light-heartedly. "What the hell did you take me to see somethin' like that for? I thought you liked me!"  
  
His face had completely fallen.  
  
"Thanks a lot Josie." he murmured in disappointment. "I was hopin' you were enjoyin' yourself irrespective."  
  
Josephine knew from his voice he was insulted. She grabbed his arm and looked up at him.  
  
"Oh come on Marvin… no offence huh? I'm only foolin' around."  
  
"Yeah well everyone takes me for a fool Josie." he pouted. "Even you."  
  
"I do not!" she exclaimed. "Don't you dare go puttin' words in my mouth!"  
  
Her face lit up at his petulant expression and she began to chuckle.  
  
"Come on … even you gotta admit it was terrible."  
  
He allowed himself to lighten up. There was no way he could stay mad at Josephine Brown but deep down it irked him that she treated him like everyone else.  
  
"Yeah OK Josie." he said allowing a half smile to permeate his lips "I admit it. It was a shocker!"   
  
The two of them laughed and then looked from one end of the street to the other.  
  
"So now what will we do with ourselves?" he asked. "The dance is on over in the hall if you wanna go."  
  
Josephine looked dubious.  
  
"I've never been one for dancin' Marvin." she replied.   
  
Marvin breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't dance at all and as far as he was concerned he'd made a big enough fool of himself in front of her tonight without risking that too.  
  
They continued to look up and down the street.   
  
"You could always take me back to the farmhouse." she said hopefully.  
  
He shook his head. There was no way his special night with Josephine Brown was going to end so soon. They had a deal and she was sticking to her end of the bargain if it killed her.  
  
"Josephine we're supposed to be out on a date!" he chided her. "You don't go home from a date at eight thirty."   
  
"I KNOW!" she exclaimed testily. "It was only a suggestion."  
  
He looked up the street for the last time. He'd had enough procrastinating. He knew where they could both go to have a good time.  
  
He reached out his hand and took hers.  
  
"Come on." he said determinedly. "You and me are goin' to have a beer."  
  
She turned towards him and frowned.  
  
I ain't goin' into that bar holdin' your hand Marvin Landers." she flashed. "There's Farmers in there who know Grant."  
  
"Josephine you promised me." he reminded her firmly. "You said if I opened the market for you you'd go out with me. Just you and me you said."  
  
"I know that but …" she began.  
  
He interrupted.  
  
"And when you said it Josie you didn't put no restrictions on it." he reminded her.  
  
"No I didn't did I?" she acknowledged half-heartedly and sighed as he kept hold of her hand and began to walk down the street towards the bar.   
  
"Why don't we skip the beer and I get you to open the market for me again." she suggested with a wink. "Remember what happened the last time you did that!"  
  
He stared back at her with a sullen expression. What did she have to go and bring that subject up for?  
  
"Yeah I remember what happened to you all right Josephine. You went on out to the farmhouse and got yourself engaged to that Farmer boy." he said in a sulky voice.   
  
An amused look stole across her face. Marvin was jealous and it wasn't half obvious.  
  
"Do I sense my engagement to Grant is botherin' you Marvin Landers?" she teased.  
  
He took and deep breath and bared his soul.  
  
"Yes Josephine Brown." he said matter-of-factly. "Yes your engagement does bother me if you must know. You could've at least waited until you gave ME a chance before commitin' yourself for life."  
  
She laughed.  
  
"Oh Marvin stop it! Jealousy doesn't suit you any better than it suits Grant."  
  
She looked at his perplexed face, pictured Grant's and laughed louder.   
  
Grant had been absolutely beside himself with jealousy when she informed him she intended to go on a date with Marvin Landers. Even after she'd explained the reason behind it all, he was still disgruntled at the thought of her being hand in hand with his nemesis from the market.  
  
"I've always suspected he's had eyes for you Josephine." he complained. "I can tell just by the way he looks at you that he wants to be more than friends."   
  
His brow furrowed and his lips pursed.  
  
"No Josie." he finally said. "I don't want you to go."  
  
She had grinned at his surly face and determined, unwavering expression. He had never revealed this side of his personality before and she was flabbergasted at how possessive he was.   
  
"Oh come on Grant. I have to." she replied in her most persuasive voice. "I promised him."  
  
"Yeah but that was before you promised yourself to me." he argued.  
  
"It don't matter." she re-iterated firmly. "A promise is a promise."  
  
She tried not to laugh. Grant could hide a lot of things about how he felt but he sure as heck was having trouble hiding his jealousy. His face completely gave him away.   
  
"Anyway Grant you gotta remember if it wouldn't have been for Marvin, you and me would never have got back together.  
  
Grant really frowned then.   
  
"Are you tryin' to tell me I should be grateful to him or somethin' Josephine?" he muttered.   
  
She nodded, wrapped her arms around his neck and proceeded to kiss him heartily on the lips.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm sayin' to you handsome." she laughed as they broke apart.   
  
Grant sighed unhappily but in the end had reluctantly agreed to let her go.  
  
"You just make real sure he understands the way things are with us Josie." he warned. "I sure don't wanna have to go through hell and high water with you again."   
  
"Why?" she ribbed. "Ain't I worth it to you Grant?"  
  
He pulled her close to him and looked deep into her eyes.  
  
"Of course you're worth it Josephine." he said sincerely. "But as far as I'm concerned the courtin's all done and you belong to me."   
  
His voice was firm and his face was deadly serious.  
  
Her voice on the other hand was full of mischief. She loved teasing him at the best of times and now that she had discovered his jealous streak it was more enjoyable than ever.  
  
"I might warn you Mr Grant Daniel Tracy that I ain't wearin' no engagement ring that says so yet." she grinned.   
  
She paused and tormented him further. "And without one Marvin Landers might think he can rustle in on me when you ain't lookin'."   
  
His face dropped. Not a day went by when he didn't wish he still had his Mother's beautiful ring to give her.  
  
"I'll buy you a proper engagement ring Josie." he promised intensely. "I … I will …"  
  
Her own smile faded. She knew Grant hated the fact he couldn't give her anything.  
  
She looked down at the bandaid he had placed around her finger over a week ago. If only he knew it was worth more to her than the most expensive ring he could buy.  
  
"I know you will honey." she whispered lovingly. "I was only kiddin' around."  
  
A tender smile stole across her face as she sat herself down at the table in the bar and Marvin went to get the two of them a beer.  
  
It hadn't been easy for Grant that explosive morning in the farmhouse. Her marriage proposal had placed him in a position where he didn't have a choice any more. If he wanted her he had to put his farm on the line and stand up to her Father.   
  
Josephine shuddered at the memory.  
  
Walter Brown had been mortified when Grant returned her to the farmhouse and stood with his arm around her prepared to state his case. The shirt she wore was completely saturated and totally transparent. It certainly left nothing to anyone's imagination and Walter simply didn't know where to look next.  
  
"For God's sake Josephine…" he spluttered.   
  
Grant saw his embarrassment and motioned her in the direction of the bathroom.  
  
"Go on through and find yourself some dry clothes Josephine." he said. "I got things to discuss with your Daddy."  
  
She had stood defiantly by his side glaring at her Father.  
  
"No I ain't goin' anywhere 'till all the talkin's been done."  
  
"Josephine do as you're told!" barked Walter Brown. "You're an absolute disgrace standing there like that."  
  
She opened her mouth to argue again but Grant stopped her mid-sentence. He turned her to him and looked her firmly in the face.  
  
"Josie that's enough huh." he said quietly. "Your Daddy is right."   
  
She paused as he held her eyes with his own.   
  
"It's OK honey." he re-iterated. "I can handle things."  
  
His firm voice reassured her and after a glare in her Father's direction, she turned and went in the direction of the bathroom.  
  
What was said between them after that she didn't really know but when she emerged her Father had gone and Grant was in the kitchen fixing the two of them breakfast.  
  
"Where's Daddy?" she asked looking around the room in surprise.  
  
"Gone home." he replied, carefully avoiding her eyes.  
  
"AND?" she insisted.  
  
He shrugged his shoulders.   
  
"And I hope you like the idea of us livin' in a truck Josephine." he said matter-of-factly. "Cos that's what your Daddy said is gonna happen if I go against him and put a ring on your finger."  
  
She had fired up immediately.  
  
"Oh really?" she flashed, snatching up her coat and looking about for her car keys. "Well I'll just see about that!"  
  
Her eyes caught his anxious expression as she went to walk out the door. She stopped and turned back around.   
  
"Grant you're not thinkin' about backin' down to him are you?" she asked.  
  
He reached up to take a coffee cup from the shelf above his head. He held it in his hands for a few moments and studied it intently.   
  
"No ma'am." was his quiet reply "No I'm not. "  
  
After a while he lifted his face to hers.  
  
"But please Josie before you go stormin' outta here again like a woman possessed let me do just one thing huh?"  
  
She looked puzzled.  
  
"What?"   
  
He put down the cup and opened a nearby drawer. From out of it he took a band-aid and proceeded to take her left hand in his.  
  
"This that's what." he said, wrapping it around her finger.  
  
"What on earth are you doing?" she frowned.  
  
"Josephine." he said with resignation. "If you're gonna go on home, aggravate your Daddy further and get me tossed the hell off my farm, you'd better at least be wearin' a ring of some description to justify it all."  
  
He lifted her hand to his lips.  
  
"Ain't much of a ring I know but as far I'm concerned it means the two of us are engaged to be married."  
  
She looked down at the bandaid and felt a sudden feeling of happiness surge through her body. This was the moment she had waited for. It wasn't quite as romantic as she had pictured it might be but after everything that had happened these past few months she didn't really care.  
  
"Now Miss Josephine you go and take yourself on home." he continued squeezing her hand gently and giving her his magical Tracy smile. "I got things to do around the farm."  
  
"Hey!!!!"  
  
Josephine startled back to the present as Marvin put the beer down in front of her.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts." he challenged.   
  
"Huh?" she said in a distant voice.  
  
"You were a million miles away Josephine." he observed sitting down beside her.   
  
She gave him a brief, embarrassed smile.   
  
"I'm real sorry Marvin. You're right. I was thinkin' about somethin else."  
  
Marvin rolled his eyes. He could imagine what she was thinking about or should he say who. Grant Tracy was all she ever thought about.   
  
"Well think about talkin' to me and enjoyin' our night out together instead." he said taking a large gulp of his beer. "You'll be back in the arms of your precious Farmer boy soon enough."  
  
The sarcasm in his voice caused her temper to flash unexpectedly.  
  
"Don't call him a Farmer boy Marvin." she snapped. "His name is Grant and I won't tolerate you callin' him nothin' else."   
  
Marvin was completely taken back. Josephine had never snapped at him like that before. She'd put him in his place on more than one occasion but never as decisively as that.  
  
It was obvious the fall-out with her Father over Grant ran deeper than he thought.  
  
Josephine immediately felt guilty. Marvin was a good friend and she was supposed to be out on a date with him. She reddened.  
  
"I'm sorry Marvin." she apologised. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that."   
  
He gave her an understanding nod.  
  
"It's OK. Josie I guess given the circumstances even someone like you can't be perfect."  
  
She smiled warmly at his pathetic attempt to charm her. He was such a sweet man and she felt really bad that she had vented her frustration out on him.  
  
"Thanks for understandin' Marvin but you don't deserve to be on the receivin' end of my problems all the same."  
  
Her finger slowly traced the sides of the beer glass and the silence between them soon became awkward.   
  
"You wanna talk about it Josie?" he offered after a while. "I know I ain't Grant or nothin' but I'm willin' to listen if you want."   
  
She sighed. It was doubtful talking about the situation would help. It certainly wouldn't change what happened last week.  
  
"No Marvin." she finally replied. "Ain't nothin' you or anyone can do about my Daddy."  
  
His own face became gloomy.   
  
Josephine had confided in him earlier in the week about the dreadful confrontation she'd had with her family. To his mind came the situation with his own Father and the confrontations he experienced on an almost daily basis.  
  
"No more than I can do anything about my own." he admitted in return.  
  
"Daddy can only relate to one thing these days … money."  
  
"My Daddy only relates to one thing too … the drink."  
  
"He don't seem to see the value of our family no more."  
  
"My Daddy ain't seen the value of our family since I was in Grade school."  
  
Her face contorted with sadness.  
  
"Wish I'd have just kept my big fat mouth shut."  
  
"Wish I was game enough to open mine."  
  
"Sure wish Daddy and me could make things up and I could see Momma again ."  
  
"Wish I could just see my Momma."  
  
The two of them continued to drink their beer and look at each other miserably. Marvin reached out his hand and squeezed hers reassuringly.  
  
"Things will be OK Josie. Your Daddy will come 'round one day, you'll see."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"If he don't throw us off the farm in the meantime."   
  
Her eyes welled with tears.  
  
"All me and Grant want is each other." she swallowed as a tear trickled down her cheek. "I don't understand why he's so dead set against that."  
  
She quickly wiped the tear away and reached for her beer. She swallowed the rest of it in one gulp.  
  
"Whoa Josie." Marvin cautioned. "You're ruinin' your amateur standin'."  
  
She fixed her lips determinedly, rose from the table and headed towards the bar.  
  
"Don't you feed me any of that amateur rubbish." she shot back over her shoulder. "I can hold a beer every bit as good as you can Marvin. Now are you havin' another one with me or not?"  
  
Marvin looked hesitant.  
  
"Um …. Long as it's just one Josie. I gotta drive you home remember?"  
  
"Yeah I know." she mumbled. "I haven't got a car no more either."   
  
He watched her go and cursed himself for letting his guard down and making mention of his Father. No-one knew about his private misery and he didn't want anyone to know either.  
  
"Here." she said putting down the glass in front of him. "But the sounds of what you've been sayin' to me about your Daddy just now I think you need another beer nearly as much as I do."  
  
He coloured and began to stammer.  
  
"Marvin there's no use gettin' embarrassed in front of me." she said seriously. "You can't help your family situation any more than I can help mine."   
  
"I know I can't Josie but I don't want you thinkin' ill of me. It's bad enough I never finished High school."  
  
"Marvin Landers why in the blazes would I think ill of you? It ain't your fault your Daddy can't stop drinkin'."  
  
Marvin gave her a relieved look. Josephine Brown had hit the nail right on the head when he thought about it. He couldn't help it if his Father was an alcoholic. He wondered why he hadn't realised that before.   
  
"If you want my opinion Marvin I think you should forget worrying about what people think, stop acting the fool all the time and put your energies into goin' to night school." she continued. "Then you could put yourself through College."  
  
At his look of disbelief she added.  
  
"Marvin, you were the smartest in my classes when we were in Junior High. You deserve better than what you got in your life right now."  
  
She lifted her chin and muttered.  
  
"Don't know about you but there's no way in hell I'm lettin' my Daddy destroy me."   
  
Her sincere eyes and strong belief in her own words stirred a long-buried dream he had for himself back into life.   
  
He had always wanted to become a Doctor.   
  
He allowed himself to remember back to their days in Junior High. Josephine was right. Before his mother left he used to be the brightest student in the class. Maybe instead of drinking in the bar on a week night to avoid going home to his Father he could do something constructive and enrol himself in night school.  
  
He took her hand again.  
  
"Thanks Josie." he said with real gratitude in his eyes.  
  
She placed her own hand on top of his and smiled at him.  
  
"You're very welcome Marvin Landers."   
  
"I've never told anyone about my Daddy before." he admitted shyly. "I've always been too ashamed to let people know my family ain't perfect."   
  
She shrugged.  
  
"Nobody's family is perfect Marvin." she said. "You only got to look at mine to know that for a fact."  
  
Those words were a fitting introduction to the voice which now sounded out beside them.  
  
Marvin groaned in silence.  
  
Of all the people he least wanted to have a conversation with right now, it was the high and mighty Victoria Brown.  
  
But much to his surprise Victoria didn't appear to be acting as obnoxiously as she normally did. Her usual condescending manner seemed conspicuously absent as she stood beside the table nervously twisting her hands together.  
  
"Ummm … Hi Josie... Marvin." she began.   
  
"Evenin' Tory." Marvin acknowledged glancing across the bar to where her attorney friends sat watching with avid interest.   
  
Josephine ignored her completely and said nothing.  
  
He watched Victoria trying to pluck up the courage to continue.  
  
"Josie… Ummm…I … I saw you when you were up at the bar just now."  
  
"So naturally you had to come over and find out why I'm sitting here holdin' hands with Marvin Landers right?" Josephine responded coldly. "Well Victoria before you go runnin' home and tellin' Daddy your big news just remember Grant knows all about this and he don't have a problem with it."  
  
Victoria shook her head.  
  
"No … No Josie. That isn't why I came over." she said earnestly. "I just wanted to check you were all right."  
  
"I got a roof over my head if that's what you mean." Josephine replied without emotion. "Least for now."  
  
Victoria shivered at the ice in Josephine's voice. She was the first to admit they had never been close but at least they had always loved each other as family. Her eyes clouded. Josephine was acting as though she was a stranger and an unwelcome one at that.  
  
"Josephine I was outta line the other day." she admitted tearfully. "Honest I didn't mean those things I said about Grant."  
  
She paused and continued twisting her hands together.  
  
"Please forgive me and come on home." she pleaded. "I miss you. And …and so does Bella."  
  
Josephine remained unmoved.   
  
Victoria flinched at her hardened, emotionless face.  
  
"Josie ... please. Momma's worried sick about you." she continued. "And um… even though he isn't sayin' so … I know Daddy is too."  
  
Marvin watched Josephine swallow hard. He knew how much she loved her family. The Browns had always been a close, tight-knit unit who supported each other through thick and thin. But determination marked the face of the eldest Brown daughter and without flinching she looked at Victoria.   
  
"I ain't ever comin' home." she replied in a firm voice. "Far as I'm concerned the lines been drawn in the sand where Grant's concerned and I'm not backin' down…not even for Momma."  
  
"Please Josie …Momma's really upset." Victoria begged finding to her horror she was starting to cry openly.  
  
Josephine watched the group of young attorneys nearby frown.   
  
"Better watch the tears Victoria." she scorned. "Your well to do friends over there don't seem to like the fact you're lowerin' yourself to cry in front of a couple of losers who work in a market."   
  
"I don't care what they think Josie, you're my sister." she sobbed.   
  
"WAS your sister." she reiterated stonily. "Now if you don't mind Victoria Marvin and me were havin' ourselves a quiet drink together before you saw fit to interrupt. Marvin ain't no Rhodes scholar like your friends over there but in my estimation he's got a hell of a lot more goin' for him than they do."   
  
She stopped, glared at the attorneys who were joking loudly and then added.  
  
"Least my friends don't laugh at me Victoria."  
  
The faces of the Brown sisters told the story of a family now in total crisis.  
  
Josephine; aggrieved, angry and determined.   
  
Victoria; remorseful, apologetic and distressed.   
  
Without a word Victoria Brown turned away from them all and moved in the direction of the door.   
  
The voice from beside Marvin Landers called after her.  
  
"Tory."   
  
Victoria turned back and looked into the deep blue eyes of her sister.   
  
Those eyes were filled with tears too.  
  
"Please tell Momma that I love her … and I'm so sorry Daddy made me choose."   
  
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
  
Walter Brown wiped the dust off the fine bottle of red wine he had just brought up from the cellar and carefully studied the label.  
  
He smiled at the irony of it all. The wine was twenty two years old, the same age as Josephine.   
  
He had hoped to open this one at the end of the year when he celebrated his tenth year as Manager of the Bank but given what had happened over the past week he decided it was better if he opened it now.  
  
He fiddled with the corkscrew and looked nervously in the direction of the lounge-room.   
  
Alice hadn't stopped crying about what had happened with Josephine in over a week and he didn't know what else he could do to try and make things up to her. He had sent her flowers every day, purchased expensive chocolates, even offered to pay for her to take another shopping holiday in New York. But it had all been to no avail. If she wasn't lying on their bed in tears, she simply sat in silence, completely devastated.  
  
And now it was Saturday night.  
  
As per their normal routine the girls were out and they had been left at home alone.  
  
Usually she took the opportunity to cook him his favourite meal and the two of them shared a bottle of wine together. The rest of the night was pretty much their own. Sometimes they walked together in the darkness, other times they simply watched a movie in each others arms. But Saturday night had always been their special night and they looked forward to it  
  
Until tonight.   
  
Tonight Alice Brown sat alone reading a book.  
  
Tonight Walter Brown stood alone wondering what to do next.   
  
She hadn't made him his favourite meal. She hadn't made him dinner for seven nights now.  
  
She wouldn't even talk to him.  
  
And unless he did something soon she would go to bed alone for yet another night.  
  
Locked away in Josephine's room where she cried the night away.  
  
Walter finally won his battle with the corkscrew and placed the opened bottle on a small tray to breathe for a while. He reached into the ornate glass case and moved the contents about until he found the ones he wanted.   
  
Two exquisite Venetian wine glasses  
  
The glasses they had used to toast their happiness at their wedding.  
  
He carefully wiped them out with a cloth before setting them on the tray and carrying it through to the lounge room.  
  
He set the tray down on the coffee table and proceeded to sit next to her.   
  
The cushions on the expensive velvet couch sank under the force of his weight.  
  
"I thought you might like to share this bottle of red with me tonight Alice." he began uncomfortably. "It … it's the best one in the cellar."  
  
She didn't reply.  
  
Walter leaned forward and poured two glasses and motioned her to take one from the tray.  
  
She didn't move.   
  
"Alice …" he implored. "Please honey … I don't know what else to try to make things right between us."  
  
Alice Brown's face remained like stone. Walter could apologise all he liked. Josephine was gone from their lives and no matter what he did to try to make things up, nothing would ever be right between the two of them again.   
  
It had all started the morning Walter stormed into the house after being up all night looking for Josephine. It escalated when Josephine came home an hour later fired up and upset at the ultimatum he had given Grant in the farmhouse. It exploded as the two of them began to argue in the kitchen at the tops of their voices.  
  
Arabella stood dumb-founded at the intensity of the argument but Victoria immediately jumped to the defence of her Father.  
  
"Daddy's right Josie. I've been tellin' you for ages. Grant Tracy's nothin' but a loser and the sooner you get that through your head the better."  
  
"Shut up Victoria before I do it the hell for you." Josephine spat.  
  
"I've told you before not to speak to your sister like that." Walter shouted. "I've had enough of your mouth Josephine."  
  
Alice Brown intervened by standing in the middle of all of them.  
  
"What in the hell is goin' on in this family!" she shrieked "Stop screaming at each other and tell me what's wrong so we can discuss it like civilised human beings."  
  
Josephine immediately blurted out the whole story to her without taking a breath and in her usual style held none of the details back. Within minutes everyone, including the neighbours knew she had gone to the farmhouse the night before to make Grant dinner, one thing had led to another and she and Grant had spent the night together. She also added she was now aware of the reason Grant had broken up with her, made it very clear how much she resented her Father as the result of it and defiantly stated she intended to marry Grant and take up residence at the farm as soon as she could.   
  
"Tell her she's being ridiculous Alice." Walter demanded. "No-one in their right mind runs off and gets married to someone who has nothing."  
  
"I'm NOT being ridiculous Daddy." Josephine fired back. "I love Grant and he loves me. Money's got nothin' to do with it. I got a job. I got a College degree too if I wanna use it."  
  
"Walter." Alice interceded sharply. "This isn't a choice for you to make. Josephine's of age to choose for herself."  
  
"Yes she is." he roared back. "And I'm sure Grant has made her very aware of the implications of making that choice too."  
  
"What are you talking about Walter?" Alice frowned. "There are no implications here. The girl only wants to get married."  
  
Josephine's eyes flashed to her Mother's.  
  
"Oh yes there is Momma. Daddy said he's gonna leave us with nothin' if we get married." she bristled. "He's gonna sell the farm outta spite without even givin' Grant a chance."  
  
Alice Brown spun around to face Walter, her eyes wide with disbelief.  
  
"WHAT???????" she gasped.   
  
Walter Brown lifted his chin with determination.  
  
"Josephine, Grant Tracy has had all the chances in the world. He owes my Bank a lot of money and if he can't pay it back regularly, he sure as hell can't support you. And let me say right here and now young lady if he tries to put a ring on your finger when he can't support you, as your Father I'll force him to wake up to himself. "  
  
He took a deep breath and added. "And if that means repossessin' his farm to prove the point, so be it."   
  
She held up her left hand and rebelliously showed him the band-aid.  
  
"Well you better get ready to do it then Daddy because this band-aid is that ring." she challenged.  
  
Victoria burst into laughter.  
  
"You call THAT a ring Josephine?" she mocked. "What a God-damn joke!"  
  
Josephine clenched her fists in fury.  
  
"For your information Miss high and mighty Grant used to have the most beautiful ring in the world to give to me. It belonged to his momma."  
  
She fixed her eyes on her Father.  
  
"But he had to sell it for half its value to pay for his Daddy's funeral. And last night he told me why too. He sold it so he didn't have to borrow no more money from you. "  
  
She glared at the two of them almost with hatred.  
  
"So the pair of you can make fun of the bandaid if you want but as far as me and Grant are concerned we're engaged and no matter what you threaten to do to him Daddy I ain't changin' my mind."  
  
Victoria then stepped in front of her Father to face Josephine direct.  
  
"Don't be such a fool Josie. Grant Tracy ain't worth this. Open your eyes and see things for what they are. He's a useless Farmer for God's sake."  
  
"I've told you to shut up about Grant too many times already Victoria." Josephine fired back. "Now I swear I ain't tellin' you again."  
  
"Forget him. You know as well as I do he's just another man in bed Josie." Victoria stressed. "Enjoy the moment and move on."  
  
"How dare you speak about Grant like that!" she exploded and lunged forward in fury. "You might sleep with anyone who's got a College education and money in their pocket but don't make the same filthy assumptions about me."  
  
Arabella and Alice desperately tore the two of them apart.  
  
"Arabella, get Victoria the hell outta here." Alice demanded holding Josephine firmly by the arm.  
  
"She started it Momma." Victoria argued as Arabella tried to lead her towards the door.  
  
"It was you and your trumped up opinions." Josephine retorted. Not me."   
  
"I don't care WHICH one of you started it. I'm ENDIN' it right now!" Alice thundered. "The two of you have said far too much for my likin' already. "   
  
"No-one speaks ill of Grant in my hearin'." Josephine stressed. She fixed her eyes on Victoria one last time. "Least of all a self-centred cow like YOU."   
  
Walter started to feel his temper sliding out of control. Twenty-two years of age, raised never wanting for anything and now standing there large as life upsetting the whole family.  
  
"By God don't you push me much further Josephine." he warned dangerously. "I've turned a blind eye to the Tracy family's inability to pay for three years because of you."  
  
"WALTER STOP IT!!!" Alice yelled at the top of her voice. "This isn't just some faceless client. This is our daughter."  
  
"Who's lost all sense of family since takin' up with that Tracy son." he roared back.  
  
It was now Josephine's turn to start shouting.  
  
"How dare you talk about family Daddy. Look at you. You're prepared to let me start my married life livin' in a truck."  
  
The force of her words suddenly drove home to her what might really happen if she didn't hold her tongue in front of her Father. Her eyes filled with frightened tears as she faced Walter Brown in real anger for the very first time in her life.  
  
Gone was the affectionate, loving Father she had adored. Now he was nothing more than the Bank Manager.   
  
To her mind came the tall, gentle man with the southern drawl who had always made her feel so welcome in his home. The man who never had a dime to his name but who somehow always found a little bit extra when Grant invited her to stay at suppertime. The man who said if she had family and friends in her life she would always be a rich woman. The man cancer had taken before his time.  
  
The words escaped her lips before she realised she had said them.  
  
"Mr Tracy never had much of anythin' Daddy. Money or possessions." she began to sob. "But I know he wouldda given Grant and me the shirt off his back to make sure we were happy and had a roof over our heads. Family was everything to him and it'll be the happiest day of my life when I can call myself Josephine Tracy and forget to hell I ever had the misfortune to be known as Josephine Brown."   
  
Walter lowered his voice almost to a growl.   
  
"Do you really mean that Josephine?" he thundered.   
  
She clamped her teeth down hard on her bottom lip.  
  
"Yes Sir I do." she sniffled still refusing to back down.  
  
He walked to the front door in silence and opened it.  
  
"Fine then." he said in a low and angry voice. "Go."  
  
Alice Brown's eyes filled.  
  
"No Walter." she gasped in horror. "Please … what are you doing?"   
  
She watched in dismay as her eldest daughter and the man she had loved for over twenty-five years stared at each other unrepentantly.  
  
"Go on Josephine." he rumbled. "You've made the statement. Now make your choice."   
  
They continued to stare each other down. Neither of them relented.  
  
"Very well then I'll go upstairs and pack my things." Josephine finally responded.  
  
"Oh no you won't Josephine." Walter Brown said pointing in the direction of the sandstone fence. "If you believe you can make it through life without money you can start proving it to me right now."  
  
"I will then" she said without emotion. "Cos I ain't giving up Grant."   
  
Alice Brown watched helplessly as Josephine threw down her car keys, pushed past her Father and walked out of their lives without a backward glance.   
  
Those same helpless eyes now looked deep into the remorseful eyes of Walter Brown. He leaned forward and picked up the two glasses. He extended one towards her.  
  
"Here Alice." he said softly. "Please … take it."  
  
She remained motionless and Walter felt a lump the size of a football welling in his throat. Alice was the most precious possession in his life and for the first time it occurred to him that he might be about to lose her.  
  
"Please… I'm trying to make things up to you honey."   
  
Her hand extended for the glass.  
  
"So it's expensive wine this time." she said quietly running her eyes over the glass. "Flowers meant for nothin'; chocolates even less; guess this is all you got left to try."  
  
"Alice … I'm sorry about what happened with Josephine." he said sincerely. "Anything you want … you just say it … and I'll get it for you."  
  
Alice shook her head.  
  
"Don't you see? Material things mean nothin' to me no more Walter. Money will never replace Josephine no matter how hard you try."  
  
She looked at him accusingly.  
  
"Or make me forget the fact you made my daughter leave this house with nothin' but the clothes she had on her back."  
  
He immediately became defensive.  
  
"Alice … Josephine and her uncontrollable mouth went too far this time. You heard the things she said. What was I supposed to say?"  
  
Alice changed the subject.  
  
"Tell me the last time we held these Walter." she said abruptly indicating the wine glasses.  
  
"Our wedding day." he admitted. "Twenty five years ago. "  
  
"That's right. You were twenty two and still in College after failin' your fourth year." Alice reminded him. "Nothin' to your name but dreams and aspirations my Daddy said."  
  
She allowed the words to sink into his head before continuing.  
  
"Had to borrow money off your Father to buy me an engagement ring, couldn't afford to take me on a proper honeymoon, and then made me endure livin' with your parents till you graduated. Hardly a good start to a marriage my Daddy said and most likely destined to fail."  
  
She sipped the wine.  
  
He sipped his too.  
  
"Then struggling to make ends meet on a paltry accountant's salary. Raisin' three little girls with not one bit of money to spare."  
  
She looked at him stonily.  
  
"Those days were hard Walter. Damn hard. And you know as well as I do that we only got through them because we were young and in love and simply happy to reach out and rely on each other. Plus your parents were willin' to help us out."  
  
She took another sip of the wine.  
  
He took another sip too and forced himself to remember.  
  
"Then of course the day came when someone finally saw fit to give you a break." she said pointedly. "And Mr. Walter Brown was elevated from nothin' to become the high and mighty Bank Manager in Chase County. Now look at the two of us. Saturday night, a big fancy house, everything we need …and absolutely nothin' to say to each other."  
  
Walter lowered his head in shame.   
  
Alice knew she had made her point when he swallowed the rest of his wine in one gulp and poured himself another.  
  
"Always wondered what wouldda happened to you and me if we didn't get any help back then. " she continued. "Guess my love for you wouldda been tested a bit earlier than it is now."   
  
She rose to her feet and put down her glass.  
  
"Josephine and Grant's start in life ain't no different to ours. But unlike us I know they'll stay together because they love each other Walter and they don't need no-one else to lean on except themselves."  
  
She went to leave the room on her way up to bed but turned at the door to look at him.  
  
"Grant Tracy's never done nothin' to you personally Walter Brown. Nothin' except love the daughter you threw out of our home with all his heart."  
  
She watched him redden as the truth pierced his very soul.  
  
"And for what it's worth Walter , the day you see fit to throw that decent young man off his farm and leave my daughter homeless again, is the day our marriage will end."  
  
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
  
The day had been long and frustrating and at nine thirty in the evening it had just taken a turn for the worst.  
  
The tractor had all but packed it in, he'd damned near broken his back in a fall an hour ago and to top it all off he had now turned on the shower to find he didn't have any hot water.  
  
Grant Tracy cursed loudly as the freezing cold water chilled him to the bone. He couldn't believe he had to endure this too. He gritted his teeth and showered as quickly as he could but it had been a hard day and the mud was caked all over him.   
  
Surely things would be better tomorrow.  
  
He'd rise at dawn and try to fix the tractor. Then he'd see what he could do about the hot water. Josephine was having a hard enough time dealing with things already without any hot water too.  
  
He'd lost count of the number of times she'd dissolved into tears over the conditions in the farmhouse and the devastating argument she had endured with her Father.  
  
"It's my fault you're gonna lose your farm." she sobbed night after night in his arms."I'm so sorry Grant."  
  
He had assured her gently he wouldn't lose the farm. Things would be all right. He'd grow them a crop and pay back his debts. In a year or two they would have also have money to spare.  
  
But after today he wasn't so sure.  
  
"Whole place is packin' it in." he scowled and grimaced as his back and shoulders reminded him of the fall.  
  
"Includin' me."  
  
Still he couldn't afford to be negative. The rain had made such a big difference to the farm already and with more rain predicted in the coming weeks he was quietly confident the crop he promised her would become a reality. Prices were high at the moment and if he could do it, he could wipe out two years of debt to Walter Brown.  
  
Or slightly less if he put some money aside and brought Josephine her engagement ring.  
  
He grappled within himself. His Father's romantic story of a brash young farmer driving into town and spending the money he owed the bank on an Engagement ring had always struck him as irresponsible. Josephine of course thought it was wonderful.  
  
He heard his Father's words echo in his head.  
  
"It was the happiest day of your Momma's life when I gave her that ring." Daniel Tracy had said. "Things like that mean nothin' to a man but they're everythin' to a woman."  
  
Grant pictured Josephine's band-aided finger.  
  
No.  
  
If he grew them a crop, he would pay as much as he could back to Walter Brown.  
  
The ring could wait.  
  
Josephine was everything to him and he had to keep a roof over their heads.  
  
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Author's Note - Part 2 of the Epilogue follows.Please review!  
  
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	5. Story 1 Epilogue Part 2 A Family creat...

Author's Note - Well everyone, this is it. As you read it you will experience a slight sense of deja vu. See the images and feel the families. Cheers. mcj  
  
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FENCES AND FAMILIES- STORY ONE - EPILOGUE - PART 2  
  
GRANT AND JOSEPHINE TRACY - A FAMILY CREATES A DYNASTY  
  
Picture a Fence - " A barrier to prevent access"  
Then Picture a Family - "A Set of parents and their children"  
  
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Grant Tracy looked over at the clock on the old sideboard in the lounge room of his Kansas home and frowned. Ten thirty on a Sunday evening. Who the heck in their right mind came knocking on a sleeping Farmer's door at this hour of the night?  
  
Grant quickly did a mental check.  
  
No.  
  
Josephine had been asleep beside him. At least that was a relief.  
  
They had both gone to bed an hour ago exhausted after working all day on the farm.  
  
Grant rolled his eyes as he limped down the hallway pulling on his T-shirt. Who would be here to see him at this time of the night? Whoever was at the door had better have a good excuse for waking him. He didn't get enough sleep these days as it was.  
  
The knock on the door became more urgent and Grant knew whoever it was didn't intend to go away and leave him in peace. Obviously whoever it was had no sense of time, no common sense and definitely no manners.  
  
"I'm comin'. I'm comin'" he muttered in an annoyed voice as he made his way to the door.  
  
He turned on the light on the porch and slowly opened the unlocked door. Standing on the porch was a tall, middle-aged man dressed immaculately in his business suit and wearing a tie.  
  
"Hello Grant." he said nervously. "It's not too late to be calling by is it son?"  
  
Despite the fact the man in front of him controlled his destiny; Grant Tracy decided to say his piece anyway.  
  
"It's ten thirty in the evenin' Mr Brown and both of us are in bed." he said abruptly.  
  
Walter Brown lowered his head and reddened.  
  
"I'm sorry Grant. I've been at the Office. I must have lost track of the time."  
  
Grant looked at the expensive car parked out in front of the farmhouse. It was the car that belonged to the bank.  
  
"Well Mr Brown, if it's Josephine you've come to see she's asleep and I'd rather not wake her if you don't mind. She's workin' an extra shift at the market tomorrow and needs a decent rest."  
  
Grant watched as Walter Brown nodded his head and shuffled his feet around.  
  
"Mr. Brown you and me both know what Josephine's like."  
  
"Grant, son, I don't want you to wake her. I'm relieved she's asleep if you want the honest truth."  
  
"Oh?" Grant enquired. "Why's that then Sir?"  
  
Walter Brown bit both lips together and stammered.  
  
"W...Well son. I really want to talk to you."  
  
After a short pause he added. "And what I've come to say tonight can't wait anymore son."  
  
Grant's stomach turned and his heart filled with dread. Please God not his farm ... not everything he and his Father had worked for all these years.  
  
He looked down with resignation.  
  
It wasn't as if Walter Brown hadn't warned him it was going to happen.  
  
"All right Mr. Brown." he said quietly. "You wanna come inside and say what you gotta say to me Sir?"  
  
Walter Brown shook his head.  
  
"No Grant."  
  
"Well all right. You can just say it to me here then."  
  
Walter Brown looked nervous as he glanced down the hallway in the direction of the bedroom.  
  
"Grant." he said, "If you don't mind, I'd prefer it if we spoke out of Josephine's hearing."  
  
Grant's eyes followed Walter's. He was obviously uneasy about things. He shrugged. Grant was sure he was used to throwing people off their land. Six people he knew of had lost their farms to the Bank in the last few months and Walter Brown had expertly handled them all.  
  
"Very well Sir. Let's go out on the porch."  
  
He looked sadly around the walls of the simple home where he had been raised before he walked outside to hear his fate. He guessed what Walter Brown had to say wouldn't take him very long. Walter Brown was the Bank Manager who needed to say very little namely because there was very little to say . His Father hadn't been able to afford to pay what he owed before he died and he was foreclosing on the farm. That was all there was to it.  
  
"Would you mind very much if we went right out to the fence Grant?"  
  
"The fence Sir?" he asked. "Why the fence?"  
  
Walter fixed his dark blue eyes on Grant Tracy and said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I'll know for sure Josephine can't hear us son."  
  
Grant nodded. He didn't blame Walter Brown for being careful he supposed. He had been on the receiving end of Josephine's tongue too many times lately and if she heard he had come to take away the farm late on a Sunday evening, she'd be outside saying her piece in less than ten seconds flat.  
  
He sighed.  
  
Josephine had said way too much already.  
  
"All right Mr. Brown." he said. "After you."  
  
The two of them walked down the darkened pathway towards the old white picket fence in front of the Tracy farmhouse. The air was still as Grant Tracy limped in silence beside the Father of Josephine Brown.  
  
"You're limping son." Walter commented quietly.  
  
"I fell in the barn last week Sir." Grant replied. "My back's still sore."  
  
"You all right?" he asked.  
  
"I'm still able to work Sir if that's what you mean." he said defensively.  
  
Silence fell between the two of them until they neared the fence.  
  
"I see the fence has been painted since the last time I was here." Walter observed.  
  
"Yes Sir Josie did it." Grant said in surprise. The last thing he expected Walter Brown to mention was the old picket fence.  
  
Walter Brown was clearly astonished.  
  
"Josephine? Really? Hmmpph. I never thought she had it in her."  
  
"Well Sir as you can see she does. Told me it was my job to concentrate on the crop and hers to get the house in order. That is of course when she ain't workin' at the market."  
  
His eyes grew wary as he looked at Walter Brown.  
  
"Sir, Josie don't make a lot of money as I guess you already know but even though she went against me and brought herself the paint for the fence we managed to save over two hundred dollars of her wages this week to pay you."  
  
He turned and began to limp back towards the house.  
  
"I'll go get the money and give it to you now Sir."  
  
Walter Brown called him back.  
  
"No son ...wait ..." he began. "I'm afraid you've got things wrong. I didn't come here tonight to badger you for money."  
  
Grant stopped in his tracks and stood deadly still. It was some moments before he found the courage to turn back to look at him.  
  
"Mr Brown." he queried tearfully. "You haven't come here to just throw us out point blank have you Sir?"  
  
Walter Brown cleared his throat and fidgeted with his tie.  
  
"Grant..."  
  
Grant Tracy fixed his dark blue eyes on Walter Brown and pleaded.  
  
"Please Sir ... I don't care for myself no more but if you have any love left in your heart for Josephine, please give us a little more time to get the money together for you. Like I said ... I can give you two hundred dollars right now and more next week..."  
  
Walter Brown remained silent.  
  
Grant continued blindly.  
  
"Please Mr Brown I can learn to live in a truck but I know for a fact Josephine can't. She's able to tolerate most things around here but somethin' like that will break her Sir."  
  
Without flinching Walter Brown lifted his chin and replied.  
  
"I know it will."  
  
He watched Grant Tracy's chest heave with distress before continuing.  
  
"And that's why I've come here... to make damn sure it doesn't."  
  
At Grant's silence Walter added.  
  
"Contrary to what you both think at the moment Grant I do love my daughter ... very, very much."  
  
Grant Tracy had his doubts there. He still pictured Josephine crying her heart out in his arms after walking the twenty miles from the Brown residence to the farmhouse the day he told her to leave.  
  
He lowered his head and looked in the direction of the fence.  
  
"All I know is you threw Josephine out of your home Mr. Brown and that ain't love."  
  
Walter acknowledged his statement with a knowing nod of his head.  
  
"Yes I did." he murmured. "And as my wife and now you have clearly pointed out to me, what I did to Josephine wasn't love and I have never been more wrong in doing anything in my entire life."  
  
Grant watched Walter Brown look sadly towards the farmhouse, then at the old picket fence.  
  
"Mr Brown Sir ... what is it you're tryin' to tell me?" he asked.  
  
"Grant ... I'm here tonight to hopefully set the record straight about Josephine."  
  
Grant Tracy eyed the middle aged man in front of him.  
  
He was the Bank Manager living in a luxurious double storey house on the better side of the town. He didn't struggle to make ends meet. He had the capability to foreclose on four generations of hard, backbreaking work on a wheat farm that was everything to the Tracy family. To him the wheat farm was merely an asset.  
  
He tried to forget about the importance Walter Brown placed on money and recollected all the observations he had made about the Father of Josephine Brown since he had been introduced to him. The observations weren't flattering and all Grant Tracy could visualise was Josephine's tear-stained face on the steps of the farmhouse.  
  
Grant cleared his throat and said directly.  
  
"Mr Brown I'm twenty-five years old and I know I haven't made a big enough mark in this world to judge anyone, but what you did to Josephine last week was pretty darned disappointin'."  
  
Walter hung his head in shame as Grant continued.  
  
"Even though she's a grown woman, you hurt her Sir and I've witnessed enough of her tears to know just exactly how much. She loves you Mr Brown and she misses her family and like me she don't understand why her lovin' me makes a such difference to how you feel about her."  
  
He saw Walter's face fall.  
  
"I love Josephine very much too son." he swallowed. "But you have to understand this dreadful mess only arose because I wanted what I thought was best for her."  
  
Grant fixed his eyes accusingly on Walter Brown.  
  
"With respect Sir. Throwing your daughter outta her home and makin' her walk twenty miles to me for help ain't what I'd call wantin' the best for her."  
  
Walter Brown could only stand ashamed and allow himself to be admonished.  
  
"I know that Grant." he murmured. "And believe me I'm sorry for it."  
  
Grant Tracy went silent himself and thought carefully before he continued.  
  
"Mr Brown I promised you out the front of your sandstone fence six months ago that I'd provide for Josephine and treat her right if you let me have her. I meant that Sir and even though I know what you think of me I've been doin' just that since the day she left your home."  
  
Walter nodded.  
  
"I know you have Grant. You're a fine boy."  
  
Walter watched as the young man reached out his hand to touch the old picket fence.  
  
"Yeah I was fine in your estimation 'till you found out I had aspirations of marryin' your daughter." he murmured.  
  
He once again looked directly into the eyes of Walter Brown.  
  
"Well I'm still gonna do it Mr Brown. With or without your consent."  
  
He took a deep breath and delivered to the Bank Manager what he knew would be his death knell.  
  
"And with or without my farm."  
  
Walter Brown braced himself.  
  
He looked one last time at the tall quietly spoken young man standing next to him beside the fence. He doubted if he would ever meet anyone more worthy to marry his daughter than Grant Daniel Tracy. Honest as the day was long, hard-working to the point of exhaustion and more trustworthy than everyone he knew in the Town put together. A delightful young man with a love of family and an attribute no Father had the right to ignore.  
  
A complete and unconditional love for his daughter.  
  
As Alice had said, the boy had done nothing to him personally. His only crimes were to be born the son of a modest, well-mannered wheat Farmer who had struggled to make himself a living...and the fact he wanted Josephine.  
  
Walter finally forced himself to admit to things.  
  
Grant Tracy wanted to take his little girl away from him and he did not want her to go. She was his first-born daughter with big blue eyes and a feisty personality. She was the daughter who had defied him to work in a market when she could have used her College degree to carve out a career for herself. The daughter he secretly admired for her steadfast determination to live her life as she chose and not how he had mapped it out to be.  
  
The only one of his daughters to be completely true to herself.  
  
He swallowed as reality suddenly reared up and forced him to see things as they really were.  
  
Josephine wanted Grant and Grant wanted Josephine. Nothing he said or did was going to change that fact and Walter knew if he took away the Tracy farm now the only one who would lose as a result of it would be himself.  
  
His precious Alice would leave his life.  
  
Josephine would never speak to him again and no matter what, she would doggedly stay by Grant's side if only to prove her point.  
  
Walter Brown smiled at the irony of it all.  
  
Ever since she had been a little girl Josephine always got what she wanted. She persisted and persisted until she finally wore him down.  
  
He looked the simple fence and the man his daughter loved deeply enough to walk away from everything.  
  
He guessed she'd worn him down this time too.  
  
He cleared his throat.  
  
"All right Grant if you're able to pay some money to the Bank regularly I don't think it's necessary to bring the farm into this argument any longer." he said in a business like voice.  
  
The tone then altered.  
  
"The argument is now only about how much you love my daughter and how serious the two of you are about marriage."  
  
Walter watched as the eyes of the young man filled with honesty.  
  
"Mr Brown, no-one loves Josephine more than I do. I'm real grateful to you for the second chance to pay the money back and I promise you I'll do it no matter what sacrifices I have to make. I also wanna assure you that Josephine and me are deadly serious about gettin' married."  
  
His voice lowered and he said with sincerity.  
  
"I would never have taken Josie into my bed if I didn't intend to marry her Sir."  
  
Walter Brown acknowledged his admission and looked up at the sky. It looked like more rain was coming and he guessed he'd better go. Besides it had all been said between them now.  
  
He pulled out the keys to the mercedes parked in front of the farmhouse.  
  
"Well then Grant I guess you've told me what I want to hear so I'd better be on my way. You've got an early rise in the morning I've no doubt."  
  
He extended his hand.  
  
"Thanks for hearing me out son. I'm really sorry for waking you up."  
  
Grant Tracy's hand came up slowly and Walter Brown shook it firmly.  
  
"Good night to you Grant."  
  
He started to walk towards the car before suddenly turning back to face him.  
  
"Grant ... ummmm.... I'd sure appreciate it if you told Josephine I called by tonight and wanted to apologise for what happened."  
  
Grant Tracy felt like a total heel. This was Josephine's Father and he knew she still loved him. He really should go into the house and wake her.  
  
"Mr Brown..." he said. "Wait Sir."  
  
Walter Brown turned around and fixed his saddened eyes on Grant Tracy.  
  
"Yes Grant?"  
  
"Mr Brown, I know Josephine would wanna see you and make things up Sir. Please ... let me go wake her ..."  
  
Walter shook his head and said in a resigned voice.  
  
"No son... I'm afraid Josephine isn't that agreeable when it comes to me."  
  
With that he turned back and headed for the car.  
  
Grant watched him go. It was like Walter Brown had given up all hope of a reconciliation with Josephine. The strong sense of family instilled in him by his Father reared up inside him.  
  
He limped down the path towards the car as Walter opened the door.  
  
"Mr Brown." he blurted. "Please don't go until I wake Josephine. I'm sure she'd wanna listen to you for one thing ... and accept your apology for another."  
  
"No I already know what Josephine is like son."  
  
"I know she has too much to say most of the time but I'm sure she'd listen to you this time Sir."  
  
"No Grant I'm afraid you're wrong."  
  
"I'm not wrong Sir. I'm gonna marry her. I'll make sure she listens."  
  
Walter Brown did not reply. Despite the fact he knew Grant had an influence over Josephine that no-one else did, nobody told her to do anything she didn't want to do if they knew what was good for them.  
  
He started the ignition and waited for the engine to roar into life.  
  
"It's OK Grant." he said. "Good night."  
  
With that Walter Brown fastened his seat belt and began to drive away.  
  
Suddenly the car stopped and after a few minutes Walter emerged and walked back to where Grant stood in front of the white picket fence.  
  
"You forget somethin' Sir?" he asked.  
  
"Yes I did Grant." Walter said gruffly. "Can you believe it was the main reason I came to see you in the first place?"  
  
Walter Brown reached into his pocket.  
  
"I believe I have something which belongs to you."  
  
Grant looked at Walter Brown's hand. In it was a red velvet box. The box was old and somewhat tattered in places but he knew without opening it what it contained.  
  
Something more precious to him than anything.  
  
His Mother's engagement ring.  
  
Confusion spread across his face.  
  
"Sir?" he frowned.  
  
"One of the last things my daughter told me was that you had to sell this to pay for your Father's funeral." he said. "Well ... I believe you intended it for Josephine and as such I have taken the liberty of buying it back on your behalf and having her name engraved next to your Mother's."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"I saw your Mother's name was Ellen."  
  
Grant nodded.  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
"I wanted to name Josephine Ellen. What a co-incidence."  
  
Grant's eyes filled.  
  
"Sir .... I ....I don't know what to say to all this."  
  
Walter Brown extended the box towards the emotional young man.  
  
"Don't say anything Grant." he said. "Just take it."  
  
Grant brushed the tears from his eyes and took the box.  
  
"You have no idea how much this means to me Sir ... and what it will mean to Josephine."  
  
For the first time in his life Walter Brown felt he had wisdom.  
  
He smiled knowingly.  
  
"Somehow I think I do know what it means to the two of you Grant."  
  
He paused and then added.  
  
"Son, just for the record, my Father did it for me once too."  
  
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
  
She hung her head and swung her handbag this way and that as she wearily trudged up the gravelled road towards the farmhouse. The last miles always seemed to be the longest especially when she had been on her feet all day and was deadly tired.  
  
Josephine Brown sighed with resignation. She guessed she should be grateful. At least she only had to walk two miles instead of twenty. Marvin had been very kind to her since the truck had broken down and gladly gave her a lift to and from the turn-off to the farm so she was still able to get herself to work.  
  
Josephine couldn't believe the bad luck she and Grant had faced in little over two weeks together. First the tractor, then the hot water ... now the truck. Grant was at his wits end and told her they could only afford to fix one thing at a time.  
  
She'd wanted to fix the hot water.  
  
He told her it had to be the tractor. He couldn't farm without it.  
  
The truck would be second.  
  
Then the hot water.  
  
"Three more weeks of cold showering." she muttered unhappily trying not to think of the relaxing hot bath she would have treated herself to at home. "What I wouldn't give to lie back in somethin' like that right now."  
  
Home.  
  
She lifted her eyes and gazed at the miles of flat farming land sprawling in all directions around her.  
  
This was her home now.  
  
With Grant.  
  
She heaved a huge sigh.  
  
As her Father had warned her, life out here was hard.  
  
Money restrictions meant priorities and she had never faced that harsh, stark reality until now.  
  
It was tough walking two miles down and back along the old gravel road when she was so used to having a car. It was demeaning to wear the same clothes day after day after day when she had always had such an extensive wardrobe. It was exhausting rising at dawn, working at the market all day and then tending to the farmhouse.  
  
A small smirk stole across Josephine Brown's face.  
  
But there was one thing about living out here that wasn't tough.  
  
The ecstasy the two of them experienced under the covers before falling asleep in each other's arms.  
  
The smirk grew into a mischievous grin.  
  
And the ecstasy the two of them experienced under the covers when they awoke.  
  
The smile grew bigger.  
  
And all the other times too.  
  
The rumble of an engine distracted her from her thoughts.  
  
She looked in the direction of the noise. Down along the gravel road rattled an old red tractor. Behind the wheel was the handsome young Tracy son in his tattered hat and faded blue overalls.  
  
He gave her a broad smile and waved.  
  
She smiled and waved back.  
  
The mere glimpse of his dazzling smile immediately took away all the tiredness she felt and by the time the tractor came to a standstill beside her she was positively beaming.  
  
"Hey there young Lady! " he grinned jovially. "You come down this here road often?"  
  
She gave him a coy smile.  
  
"I might Mister. What's it to you?"  
  
He winked.  
  
"Ah nothin' Just out prowlin' around tryin' to find myself a woman for the night."  
  
She winked back.  
  
"I ain't just any woman you know."  
  
He winked again.  
  
"I ain't just any man."  
  
She held out her hand to him.  
  
"In that case I guess you found yourself a girl." she winked back.  
  
He pulled her up onto the tractor beside him, placed his arm around her shoulders and proceeded to kiss her lovingly on the lips.  
  
"How are you doin' baby girl?" he asked tenderly when the kiss ended. "Tired I suppose."  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"Yeah a bit."  
  
"Oh well. Guess it's early to bed for you and me again tonight huh?"  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah right Grant!"  
  
Grant laughed and turned the tractor around to head back towards the farmhouse. The two of them sat together teasing each other until the gleaming white picket fence came into view.  
  
They were home.  
  
"Mighty fine lookin' fence you got there Mr. Tracy." she observed happily.  
  
"Mighty fine lady painted it for me too." he responded, slipping his arm around her shoulders again and guiding the tractor through the gate. She tugged at his sleeve as he continued straight ahead down towards the barn.  
  
"Grant ... don't take me all the way down to the barn honey. Just let me out here and I'll go inside and start our dinner."  
  
Grant Tracy said nothing and continued to drive the tractor.  
  
"Grant!" she frowned as he passed the barn and headed towards the wheatfields. "Stop all your foolin' around and take me back up to the house. I got work I gotta do."  
  
"You ain't goin' anywhere Josephine Brown 'cept with me." he replied. "I got somethin' I wanna show you down in the back field."  
  
She slapped his arm.  
  
"No way!!!! I got a feelin' I've already seen far too much of what you're gonna show me down in that back field Grant Daniel Tracy."  
  
"We'll see." he grinned.  
  
Josephine Brown shook her head at him, folded her arms and knitted her eyebrows together.  
  
"You'd better have brought along somethin' for me to lie on then that's all I'll say. I'm still mindful of that hay bale I endured the other day in the barn."  
  
"Well you did ask a hot-blooded farmer to be your husband Miss Brown." he said in the sternest voice he could muster without laughing.  
  
The sun had begun to set over the Tracy farm in Kansas when Grant finally brought the old red tractor to a standstill. The two of them sat side by side quietly looking back towards the farmhouse.It was now merely a small white building on the horizon glowing in the red and yellow magnificence of the setting sun.  
  
But for the first time in many years it glowed not in front of barren, drought stricken land but in front of fields of green.  
  
The promise of a wheat crop.  
  
Their future.  
  
The crop Daniel Tracy had sowed himself with the last of the money Walter Brown had been prepared to lend him.  
  
Grant crossed himself at the sight of it.  
  
God willing the fields of green would now prosper to become fields of gold.  
  
Grant's tearful eyes stared into the horizon.  
  
"Daddy wouldda been so proud this crop of his was gonna make it. " he said in a husky voice.  
  
He felt Josephine rest her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I know." she said gently.  
  
She felt him slip his arm around her waist.  
  
"I sure do miss him Josephine."  
  
"I miss him too Grant."  
  
The sun began to sink lower in the sky and the farmhouse was now bathed in a glorious pink light.  
  
He turned to look into the eyes of Josephine Brown.  
  
"Now it's just you and me."  
  
She turned to look into the eyes of Grant Tracy.  
  
"I don't mind."  
  
His eyes held hers.  
  
"I don't mind either."  
  
"I love you handsome." she whispered.  
  
"I love you too little girl."  
  
Their lips met fleetingly in a gentle kiss of love.  
  
"Josie."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You and me are just like Momma and Daddy."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"They often used to sit out here on the tractor and watch the sun go down."  
  
She snuggled her body closer to his and looked at the magnificent sky.  
  
"I can see why. It's really beautiful out here."  
  
She smiled at him.  
  
"Kinda romantic too."  
  
He smiled in return and squeezed her close to him.  
  
They both turned back towards the sunset.  
  
"Momma used to tell Daddy he was a romantic."  
  
"He was."  
  
"How do you figure that?"  
  
"Who else do you know defies a Bank Manager for love?"  
  
The sun sank lower into the sky.  
  
"I know someone." a quiet voice murmured.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Me."  
  
Josephine Brown looked at the handsome young farmer at her side. Truer words had never been spoken. He was prepared to give up everything … his farm … his livelihood …his home …for her.  
  
Her eyes shone with the love she felt for him.  
  
"I guess that makes you a romantic too."  
  
They shared another tender kiss.  
  
As their lips parted Grant Tracy lowered his head and cleared his throat.  
  
"I guess that brings me to the real reason I brought you all the way out here tonight Josie."  
  
Her face immediately became guarded.  
  
"Uh oh. Grant I already told you I'm not…"  
  
He placed his index finger over her lips and quieted her.  
  
"Shush young lady. It ain't what you're thinkin' and shame on you for thinkin' it in the first place."  
  
His face gave nothing away.  
  
"Well … why am I out here then Grant?"  
  
"I want to say somethin' to you."  
  
"All right … but you'd better say it fast huh. It's gettin' cold out here now that the sun's almost gone."  
  
She shivered to make her point.  
  
Grant failed to notice.He was too busy taking both of her hands in his and holding them tight.  
  
His firm voice was steady as he began to speak.  
  
"Josephine."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
Her voice was steady.  
  
"Grant I know you do."  
  
His eyes held hers.  
  
"And nothin' is ever gonna change that 'til the day I die you understand me?"  
  
Her eyes held his.  
  
"Yes Grant I do."  
  
"And because it won't I want to give somethin' special that belonged to my momma."  
  
He silently pulled off the bandaid and slipped the engagement ring onto her finger.  
  
He heard her sharp intake of breath as she realised what it was.  
  
"There have been only two women I've loved in my life Josephine." he said. "My momma… "  
  
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.  
  
"And you."  
  
Tears welled in her eyes and overflowed silently down her cheeks.  
  
"Will you marry me this evenin' Josephine Brown?" he whispered.  
  
Josephine looked down at the magnificent ring. The diamonds sparkled in the last throes of light radiating from the sinking sun. She looked back into the eyes of Grant Daniel Tracy.  
  
For the first time in her life she was speechless.  
  
Grant looked at her expectantly.  
  
"You gonna give me an answer then young lady?"  
  
"Grant … how did you get this?" she finally managed to breathe. "I thought you said you sold it."  
  
Grant continued to hold both of her hands in his.  
  
"You haven't answered my question Josephine. I'm wantin' to become a married man tonight and I need myself a bride. "  
  
"Grant we can't get married tonight … I don't have …"  
  
"Miss Brown." he said severely. "Don't tell me I gotta go gettin' all firm with you again just to get an answer to my marriage proposal."  
  
A persuasive smile then stole over his features, the one she had never been able to resist.  
  
"Please say yes to me Josie." he said softly.  
  
Her heart melted.  
  
"Of course I'll marry you tonight Grant." she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've been ready to marry you for the past three years."  
  
The kiss began as one last orange ray lingered over the fields of green. It ended in the darkness on the old red tractor.  
  
"I love you Josephine." whispered the voice in the blackness.  
  
"I love you too Grant." whispered the other.  
  
He leaned forward and started up the engine.  
  
"Well Miss Brown. Guess we should get on back to the house and organise ourselves if we're gonna go into town and stand in front of the Minister."  
  
The tractor lurched forward in the darkness and began the journey it had taken so many times before.  
  
As he had suspected it didn't take her long.  
  
"You know Grant … we haven't got a truck to get ourselves into town."  
  
The tractor rattled on.  
  
"I know."  
  
"And no money to pay for a ride."  
  
The tractor rattled on.  
  
"I know."  
  
And I don't have anything to wear but this dress I've been washin' and wearin' for the past two weeks."  
  
The tractor rattled on.  
  
"I know."  
  
"And I don't have any make-up."  
  
The tractor rattled on.  
  
"I know."  
  
"And my hair ain't done."  
  
The tractor rattled on.  
  
"I know."  
  
"And not only that you still haven't told me how you got this ring back."  
  
The old red tractor passed the barn and continued up towards the farmhouse.  
  
"I know."  
  
She paused and looked at him grin to himself.  
  
"And you ain't gonna tell me are you Grant?"  
  
The farmhouse now came into view.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You'll find out soon enough."  
  
"What's that's supposed to mean?"  
  
Grant Tracy brought the tractor to a standstill and motioned her to look straight ahead.  
  
Standing on the front porch of the farmhouse was unmistakable figure of Walter Brown.  
  
Grant felt Josephine's whole body stiffen beside him.  
  
He immediately gave her a warning glance.  
  
"Now you just settle down and mind yourself." he said in a quiet voice. "I asked your Daddy to come here tonight and I want you to hear him out before you fly off the handle and get us both into trouble again."  
  
She sat bolt upright on the tractor with her jaw clamped tight.  
  
"You understand me Josephine?" he re-iterated. "Not one word outta you."  
  
She didn't need to say anything. Her face said it all.  
  
Grant glanced to the heavens and said a silent prayer for her silence before jumping down off the tractor. He walked around to where she sat and held out his hand to help her down.  
  
"Come on let's go talk to him. "  
  
She folded her arms stubbornly and looked away.  
  
"No."  
  
Grant rolled his eyes.  
  
"Josie …he's got somethin' he wants to say to you."  
  
Her arms remained folded and her resolve stayed firm.  
  
"Well I ain't got nothin' I care to say to him."  
  
Grant heaved a huge sigh and reached forward and picked her up from where she sat on the tractor and carried her in his arms towards the farmhouse.  
  
"You can at least make an effort to listen I'm sure." he grimaced, the pain in his back reminding him he really wasn't up to lifting a hay bale let alone a protesting young woman who wanted nothing whatsoever to do with her Father.  
  
"Put me down right now Grant." she insisted. "I ain't sayin' nothin' to that man."  
  
"I don't want you to say anythin'. I want you to keep quiet for once in your life and just listen."  
  
Grant finally set her down at the base of the stairs and stood firmly holding her hand. Walter Brown's voice echoed nervously from the porch.  
  
"Evenin' Grant." he said.  
  
"Evenin' Sir." Grant replied. "Thanks for comin' out here at such short notice."  
  
Walter walked down the stairs until he stood face to face with his feisty young daughter.  
  
"Hello Josephine." he murmured.  
  
Grant's hand tightened on hers urging her to reply.  
  
She clenched her teeth together and gave him a terse acknowledgement of her head.  
  
"Err...how've you been honey?" Walter stammered.  
  
Grant watched her lips pout and her frown deepen. Lord she was difficult to control. He remembered the words of his Father uttered that night on the porch when he had first indicated he wanted to marry her.  
  
"From what I've seen of Miss Josephine so far bein' firm with her ain't gonna be easy."  
  
Grant sighed. His Father had certainly got that right. Josephine was a law unto herself.  
  
But much to his surprise she didn't reply and her deadly silence only served to embarrass him further.  
  
"It's polite to speak when you're spoken to Josephine. " he pointed out.  
  
She gave Grant a sulky glare before blurting abruptly.  
  
"I ain't complainin'."  
  
The tone of her voice was enough for Walter Brown. But he had expected it. Josephine was a fiercely determined young woman and once she was forced to make a stand on anything she stood firm.  
  
"Honey ... Grant asked me to come over here this evening ..."  
  
Her brow furrowed and her mouth opened.  
  
Grant's hand gripped hers harder.  
  
"Ow Grant." she protested.  
  
"Well keep your mouth shut and listen." was his curt reply.  
  
Walter continued.  
  
"He asked me to come and take the two of you into town so you can get married."  
  
Josephine lifted her chin with her usual defiance and said with an icy clarity.  
  
"I'm not acceptin' anythin' from you... not even a ride."  
  
"You accepted momma's ring Josephine." Grant said quietly.  
  
"What's the ring got to do with it?" she frowned.  
  
"It was your Daddy who got it back for me so I could give it to you."  
  
Her eyes moved between Grant and her Father. She knew what her Father was up to. He was trying to right things with material possessions like he always did. Only her great respect for the ring Grant had placed on her finger and the story of love behind it stopped her pulling it off and throwing it to the ground in front of him.  
  
She said with the same defiance.  
  
"I'd rather walk thank you."  
  
"Sweetheart it's twenty miles into town you know." Walter reminded her.  
  
"I know it's twenty miles." she retorted. "You made me walk every step of the way remember?"  
  
He hung his head.  
  
"Yes honey I do remember."  
  
Walter Brown's voice reeked with humility as he looked at the hurt and angry face of his eldest daughter. It was time he apologised.  
  
"Josie ...I'm sorry for what happened the other day. I think we all let our tempers get the better of us. I was angry and tired. You were angry and in no mood to listen ... and as for the things Victoria said ... they were downright uncalled for. I'm not making excuses for myself or Victoria but what was said and done to you was wrong. I know that and I'm truly sorry."  
  
"Hmmph. " she sniffed, eyeing him with suspicion. "More likely my Momma ain't talkin' to you for throwin' me out that's why you know you were wrong."  
  
"Enough Josephine..." warned the steady voice of Grant Tracy. "Your Daddy is tryin' to apologise."  
  
Walter shook his head sadly.  
  
"No Josephine." he swallowed with tears in his eyes. "Momma left me a few days ago... the night I was out here at the farm sortin' things out with Grant. I went home to tell her things would be all right again and ... well ... it was too late."  
  
Tears immediately filled Josephine's eyes. She remembered Victoria in the bar pleading with her to come home, saying how upset their Mother was at what had happened. She had refused to listen.  
  
"Oh no Daddy." she breathed in dismay. "I can't believe she did that."  
  
Walter Brown shrugged.  
  
"It's all my fault I guess. Your Momma was mighty unhappy with me for what happened between us all and I guess she lost her patience waitin' for things to be put right."  
  
The grief he felt inside now poured out of him.  
  
"I shouldda righted things between us that very first evenin' Josephine but ...but it's hard for a man like me to admit he was wrong."  
  
He looked towards the darked horizon.  
  
"Your Momma cried after you every single day and I ignored it. Last Saturday night she finally stopped cryin' long enough to remind me of when we were young ; how much in love we used to be and how hard we struggled to find money. I didn't realise it at the time but she was givin' me one last chance to right things...and stupidly I still didn't."  
  
A tear trickled down his cheek.  
  
"And because I didn't I've lost everything. "  
  
His eyes remained fixed on the horizon.  
  
"I've lost my little Josephine."  
  
Another tear fell.  
  
"And now I've lost her Momma."  
  
"Oh Daddy." Josephine whispered. "I'm so sorry."  
  
Grant Tracy released her hand and watched with relief as Josephine Brown moved towards her Father and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Daddy ... you haven't lost me. All I ask is you let me love Grant and give us a chance to make a life for ourselves."  
  
Walter Brown's arms enveloped her and he began to sob like a child.  
  
"Of course I'll give you a chance honey. I'll give you all the chances you need if you'll forgive me. I only wanted what I thought was best for you."  
  
"I understand Daddy ..." she whispered. "But you gotta remember I'm not a little girl anymore."  
  
She looked into his eyes.  
  
"I'm a woman."  
  
His arms pulled her tighter to his chest.  
  
"Yes you are honey and Grant's one damned fine young man."  
  
Grant Tracy decided it was now time to make himself scarce and began to walk towards the old red Tractor.  
  
"Guess I'll leave you two to talk about things then." he said quietly as he moved away. "I gotta be closin' down the barn for the night before we go into town."  
  
Before he turned on the engine he looked one last time at Walter and Josephine Brown embracing near the old picket fence of the farmhouse.  
  
"Like you always told me when you were down here Daddy, family's more important than anythin'." he murmured looking up at the sky. "'Bout time the Brown family remembered that huh?"  
  
With that he swung the Tractor in the direction of the barn.  
  
Tonight he was going to marry his precious Josephine.  
  
It had been one remarkable day.  
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
THE END Author's Note:- I hope you have enjoyed this little story about the beginnings of the Tracy Dynasty. mcj ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  
  
FENCES AND FAMILIES - STORY TWO - UNHAPPINESS INSIDE THE FENCE A disgruntled young farmer - Jefferson Tracy wants to spread his wings ... and fly  
  
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 


	6. PROLOGUE STORY TWO

_Author's Note – After quite along absence I am delighted to continue with this story. This is Story 2 - a story of a young man struggling to live in the shadow of supposition ... and the dream to one day be given the wings to fly ...I hope you enjoy it ... mcj

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_

** FENCES AND FAMILIES**

**STORY TWO - PROLOGUE **

"**TRAPPED INSIDE THE FENCE" **

_Picture a Fence – "A barrier to hold within"_

_Picture a Family - "A group of related individuals"

* * *

_

He'd been sitting out here in the darkness for nearly three and a half hours now, head down, spirit crushed; a silent shadowy figure drooping with worry, defeat, and fatigue.

Grant Tracy pressed his lips together and tried not to allow himself to feel angry too. After all, it wasn't as if he hadn't felt this kind of disappointment before. Disappointment was a fact of life out here and all part of his gut-wrenching seasonal gamble as a wheat farmer.

He knew from experience there was nothing he could do but put the feeling behind him and move on.

But this time he couldn't seem to do it. His mood had never been so black, his heart had never been so hard and the anger he felt inside seemed to burn in his gut like a inextinguishable liquid flame.

He shifted his weight and ran his hands through his thick prematurely greying hair.

"_And why the hell is it so wrong to feel angry?"_ he thought in frustration. _"Risin' at dawn every day of the God damn year; workin' 'til I can't stand up straight at the end of the day; constantly eatin' into what little God damn money's left; standin' by and havin' the crop die."_

He shook his head and tried to shut out the reality of his world.

_"I just gotta forget about failin'._" he tried to tell himself. _"Like Josie says, it ain't no use bein' angry with God and the rest of the world just 'cause Kansas is havin' one of its dry spells."_

He paused for a moment and felt the anger surge through him once more.

"_Again_." he seethed.

Eighteen years since his Father had died; nearly killing himself twenty hours a day, seven days a week with only one thing paramount in his mind…honouring his marital promise to Josephine's Father.

The promise had been daunting and failing to keep it would have cost him his farm but as far as Grant Tracy was concerned him failing to keep a promise would never become an issue. A Tracy man always kept his promises and no matter what he had to do or what he had to go without he was determined to repay his Father's massive and long-standing debts to the Bank.

And he had.

It had taken him fourteen years of back-breaking work and sacrifice but to him nothing had felt better than to walk out of that Bank four years ago holding the deeds of the Tracy farm. That had been the day he'd allowed himself to stand proudly on the expensive marble stairs and look up with satisfaction into the blue Kansas sky.

"I finally got 'em back for you Daddy." he had whispered looking past the clouds with shining eyes, remembering with sadness the heart-wrenching vow he'd made to Daniel Tracy as he lay gasping for breath on his death-bed. "And there ain't no way I'll ever allow our Farm to be mortgaged to this place again."

Grant looked up at the night sky and gritted his teeth.

He still felt the same way.

Even though they were struggling.

For the past three years they'd had to live with the progressive halving of their income and their monetary situation was fast becoming a very sad reflection of it. Two seasons before the last, the wheat prices had hurt them more than the weather did. Prices hit rock bottom just before he harvested and despite the grain being of the finest quality, he got next to nothing for his crop.

Nevertheless; they'd accepted the money anyway and after a long and worried soul search decided to plant both the back fields again. The talk all over town was that prices were on the way back up again. Irrespective they had no option but to take the risk. Wheat farming was all he knew and he had a family to support.

Grant grimaced.

They really shouldn't have done it. Heaven definitely wasn't on their side he decided as a mixture of tornadoes and drought hit the state of Kansas soon after. The dreadful weather didn't just hit either. It hit with such a savage ferocity it literally brought them, and the whole farming community virtually to its knees.

The tornadoes had been first, roaming the hot dry farmlands one after the other, wreaking havoc and causing destruction. Neighbouring farms lost everything. He and Josephine had only fared a little bit better. Frightened and clinging to each other for support, they'd been grateful to only lose the old white picket fence and half the roof of the farmhouse.

The farmhouse was soon repaired but they couldn't afford to replace the fence.

And now the greatest obstacle of all ... the rain was refusing to fall.

"Who in their right mind would keep doin' this to themselves?" he questioned himself. "It never gets any blasted better around here no matter how damn hard you work."

Still, he supposed, fixing his eyes on the darkened fields and trying to remain positive, they still had a roof over their heads, food on the table and the never-ending promise of next year. Once the rain came, he and Josephine would regroup as they always did and sell something else to find the money to plant another crop. Then they'd go without everything but the bare necessities until it was harvested. That was where it really stuck in his gut.

He knew he only had to open his mouth and Josephine's Father wouldn't hesitate to lend him the money from the bank but whether Josephine agreed with him not, he simply wasn't going to do it. He had pride and he would rather go without than ask Walter Brown for anything.

He was sure they'd be all right. They'd spent their whole married life living close to the bone and Josephine had a real knack of making anything out of nothing. With his resilience and her tenacity he was sure they'd survive until they produced a paying crop again.

He paused and shook his head unhappily. Normally by now he would have accepted the way things were but tonight it was very, very different.

Tonight Jefferson had announced over Supper he'd been accepted into College.

Grant turned his head in the direction of the kitchen and watched with glassy eyes as his only son sat attentively at the old wooden table quietly conversing with his mother.

Diligent, industrious and hard-working it should have come as no surprise when Jefferson told them he'd earned himself a place in College. The boy was extremely intelligent and had studied his heart out day and night determined to obtain the best possible grades he could.

He wanted to study Engineering.

But as far as Grant Tracy was concerned High School was where Jefferson's education needed to end as a matter of pure necessity. It had always been his dream that his only son would get the grades to do something he'd never had the opportunity to do. Sadly, when it came down to reality, he just didn't have the money to let him leave home to do it. He didn't need an Engineering degree to be a wheat Farmer anyway. The boy only needed to know how to farm the land.

He'd almost said so when Jefferson told them the news but one look at Josephine's proud and delighted face made him pause and think better of it. Josephine had a College degree herself and had gone without a lot of things she'd needed over the past seventeen years to make very sure there was nothing but the best provided for Jefferson.

Grant frowned.

And she wasn't the only one to go without things either. He'd also been forced to make do with what he had in order for the boy to receive a decent education. How many times had new overalls or a pair of badly needed work boots been forfeited in order to buy a chemistry book or something else to do with Jefferson?

"Jeff needs the book to be like everyone else and the only place I can get for him is brand new from the bookstore." Josephine would state firmly and always out of Jefferson's hearing. When he opened his mouth to tell her they couldn't afford it she'd given him that determined glare of hers before adding. "'less of course you think you can conjure him up one in the barn Grant."

Everything had always centred around Jefferson and Jefferson's studies.

Grant's frown deepened.

Well Jefferson's studies were done now and Josephine had to understand life needed to revert back to the harsh realities of money and common sense.

And when money was involved the reality was easy.

He couldn't afford to send Jefferson to College. It wasn't only the cost of the tuition and the expense of the books. He had to feed and accommodate him too.

Grant groaned inwardly. He could just imagine the reaction he was going to get from Josephine when he broke the unwelcome news. She was so caught up in the romance of Jefferson's plans for greatness every bit of common sense she ever possessed seemed to have recently disappeared out the window.

He knew exactly what she was going to do too. First she'd look him up and down with that defiant look of hers; then she'd appeal to his softer side and plead with him to reconsider. When that failed to move him, the defiance would return and she'd start pointing out how much talent Jefferson had. Then she'd look at him with her beautiful expressive eyes and offer to go without something else herself in order to help him find the money for Jefferson. Her selflessness always wore him down and Grant knew if she did it to him again he'd be left with no other choice but to reluctantly agree.

He pursed his lips and lifted his chin with determination.

Well Josephine's selflessness wasn't going to work with him this time. She had gone without too much in her life already and whilst she had never complained, he was sick of witnessing it. She shouldn't have to read in the light of a homemade candle while Jefferson's bed lamp burned brightly until the early hours of the morning. She shouldn't have to constantly wear clothing four years old when Jefferson was always so immaculately dressed and presented.

Jefferson was a fine boy and he was mighty proud of him and his achievements but it was time he stopped wanting to follow his dreams and started to pull his weight around the Farm properly.

There would be no discussion about him going to College.

He didn't need an Engineering Degree to be a Farmer and that was the end of it.

_"Jefferson." _

The word rumbled from between his cracked and sunburnt lips like the thunder of a gathering storm.

Inside the farmhouse the tall, quietly spoken young man looked away from his Mother and immediately rose to his feet.

"Excuse me please will you Momma." he said in his strong, articulate voice.

Grant watched as he opened the screen door and walked out into the darkness towards him. It was hard not to feel a sense of pride in the handsome son he and Josephine had produced in the second year of their marriage. Tall and dark haired with Josephine's flashing blue eyes and fierce determination, there had never been any doubt in his mind Jefferson Grant Tracy was going to make his mark on the world and be something special.

He shook his head and silently cursed himself. No... he couldn't allow his judgement to be coloured this time. Yes Jefferson was special and he was very much the centre of their lives but he was also their only son…a Tracy son…and the fact of the matter was like all Tracy sons before him, Jefferson had been brought into the world to take over the family farm.

"Dad?" he enquired in his distinctive western tone. "Did you want to speak to me about something Sir?"

Grant cleared his throat and motioned him to sit down beside him.

"Ummm ... yes Jefferson" he said uncomfortably. "Yes I do."

Jefferson nodded his head and obediently moved to seat himself on the top tread of the farmhouse stairs. After he made himself comfortable he sat in silence for a while before looking out into the hot humid night.

"Nice evening Sir." he said amiably.

"Yes son. Very nice indeed." Grant agreed as he carefully scrutinised Jefferson's strong young features.

Jefferson turned his head back towards his Father.

"I was only saying to Momma a moment ago we should come out and join you for a bit. It's much cooler out here than in the house."

"Anythin's cooler than the hundred degree heat I've been experiencin' in that back wheat field these past few months." Grant heard himself say. "I was only thinkin' to myself earlier burnin' in hell couldn't be much damned worse."

Grant saw the beginnings of a smile steal across Jefferson's face. Josephine was always dragging them off to church and lecturing the two of them about going to hell if they didn't mind themselves and their manners.

"Now don't you go tellin' your Momma I said that either." he warned gruffly. "Don't forget you and me are supposed to be frightened senseless about goin' to that place."

Jefferson smirked and lowered his head. He was usually strong-minded and serious but when it came to his Mother's over the top sense of right and wrong he simply couldn't help himself. She was truly a force to be reckoned with when she believed in something and at the moment heaven and hell were right on the top of her priority list.

"You know me Dad." was his polite reply. "I won't say anything to Momma. But you're right about the heat Sir. It was awful out there today."

Jefferson's face seemed to relive the memory and after a few minutes he let out a heavy sigh.

"Sure wish it would rain for us Dad." he murmured gazing wistfully up into the black starlit sky.

Grant heard himself sigh too.

"Yeah. Me too son." was all he could find to say in return. "Me too."

The conversation faltered and for several minutes neither of them said anything. The air was deathly still and the only sound to be heard around them was the noisy chirping of the crickets and the occasional hooting of the old white owl living in the tree nearby.

Jefferson's deep voice finally cut across the stillness.

"Momma says the crickets this year are the worst she's ever seen them."

Grant rolled his eyes.

"Your Momma says that every year."

He paused for a moment and then said with resignation. "But for once in her life I think she might be right."

Jefferson lowered his head again. He had worked along side his Father long enough to know what crickets swarming in a wheat field meant.

"Dad."

His voice was anxious.

"What son?"

"We're gonna lose best part of our crop again aren't we Sir?" he asked apprehensively.

Grant nodded his head and heard himself give the stony verdict.

"Yes Jefferson." he said without any emotion whatsoever. "It sure does look that way."

He watched as Jefferson's face filled with the same worry and regret he was feeling himself. The boy was certainly no fool. Josephine might think she was hiding their day to day struggle from him but it was plain to see he was more than well aware of it

"I'm real sorry to hear you say that Daddy." he responded awkwardly. "I know you've had to work extra hard this year on account of me and the cost of my education."

The boy was so apologetic and so completely sincere in his concern that Grant found it difficult to remain hard. It wasn't going to be easy to say what he needed to say to Jefferson and now with the perfect opportunity for him to say it; he was starting to doubt he had the ability.

"Momma was pretty happy about you making it into College." he forced himself to begin. "Kansas State is a mighty prestigious institution."

Jefferson eyes lit up.

"Yes Sir. I'm really pleased too." he responded happily. "I worked so hard last semester to earn myself the privilege."

His face contorted a little and his enthusiasm waned.

"But I guess I should count myself lucky." he continued. "My Physics results weren't all that great despite me studying over and over again."

He paused and then mumbled more to himself than his Father. "I'll need to work real hard on the basic concepts again before I leave home for College. I don't hold out much hope of being a Flight Engineer if I can't grasp the Physics."

Despite his resolve regarding Jefferson's future Grant Tracy felt his heart ache. He honestly didn't want to disappoint the boy. He'd studied himself into the ground to get to where he was and despite the brilliance of his achievements he was still admonishing himself he should have done better. How did a Father break the news to his son that to him his hard-earned results didn't matter?

Fifteen minutes ago he would have said it to him point blank but like Josephine, Jefferson had always had a special place in his heart, and within five minutes of talking to the boy he wanted to give him everything he possibly could and more.

Reality sounded in his head.

But he couldn't. Not this time.

"Dad."

The word distracted him from his dilemma.

"What Jefferson?" was his gruff and agitated response.

Jefferson paused for a moment seemingly taken back. His Father had a bad temper when he was aggravated and he didn't like upsetting him. But the over-riding desire he had to fulfil his dreams burned deep within him and he decided to take the risk.

"You never said anything to me earlier. You know ... when I told you and momma the news."

"'News about what?"

"'The news about me getting accepted into Kansas State, Sir."

The words were uttered almost like an accusation and Grant instantly steeled himself for what he knew would have to follow.

"You're right Jefferson." he admitted in a low and careful voice. "I didn't."

The chirping of the crickets suddenly seemed closer and ten times louder to them both. The incessant noise filled the tight and uncomfortable silence.

"Sir?"

"What?"

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

Grant took a deep breath and looked directly into the face of his seventeen year old son.

"College."

Jefferson cringed at his Father's stern and disapproving tone. He'd had a feeling over supper he hadn't been too pleased. He'd simply looked at him with cold, calculating eyes before dropping his head and toying unhappily with the food on his plate. His Mother on the other hand had gone into overdrive, fussing and crying and making plans. Her delight had been obvious but it didn't detract from the fact that his Father didn't seem to approve.

His Mother had picked up on his disappointment and had frowned across the table at his Father indicating he should be saying something. When he didn't and supper was finally over, she had set about trying to reassure him that of course his Father approved.

"Daddy didn't mean to be so unenthusiastic about your wonderful news sweetie" she had tried to reassure him. "He's just tired and out of sorts at the moment. He's got a lot of things on his mind right now and needs a little space."

Looking into the eyes of his Father, Jefferson could see the strain and the worry and whilst he knew he shouldn't, he felt his heart lifting a little. By the looks of things his Mother was right. Of course his Father wouldn't disapprove of him going to College. He just had a lot on his mind and didn't need anything else to worry about.

"Dad?" he queried.

"Yes son?" Grant said tightly.

"You said you wanted to talk to me about College." he faltered. "I'm …. ummm … listening Sir."

Grant looked at the son who sat as he always did... attentive, conscientious and dutiful. Why couldn't he have just been an average student who didn't excel? Why did he have to be so gifted?

"Jeff..." he began after a few minutes of soul-searching, "…you know I'm proud of you and all your achievements don't you son?"

Jefferson nodded. He could still see his Father's face glowing in the audience at his High School graduation and the almost pompous way he had strutted around holding his Mother's hand.

"Yes Dad." he replied. "I know."

"Good." he nodded. "Your Momma's always tellin' me off because she thinks I don't say enough positive things to you about your abilities."

He shook his head at the memory of Josephine's last outburst and was already picturing what she was going to say to him upstairs for failing to congratulate Jefferson at the supper table.

"Half the time I think she thinks you're gonna go and end your life or somethin'." he commented looking back towards the kitchen where Josephine hummed and rearranged a vase of flowers on the table.

The amused smirk stole across Jefferson's features once more.

"No chance of me ever doing that Dad." he responded giving him a congenial smile. "You always say the right thing."

Grant reached forward and squeezed Jefferson's broad, strong shoulder. He was so proud of his son. Intellectual, bright and gifted and nine times out of ten his silent ally when Josephine started on him, not a day went by when he didn't thank the almighty for Jefferson.

"Yeah well I think I do too." he concurred and then allowed a tiny smile to temper his own lips. "But I don't like gettin' on Momma's bad side as you know so I always like to check."

Jefferson nodded knowingly.

"Neither of us deliberately go out of our way to upset Momma Dad."

He paused and added. "Not if we have any inkling of common sense anyway."

The two of them exchanged wry smiles.

It was Grant's smile which faded first. He couldn't afford to back down no matter how much he was enjoying Jefferson's company and the common sharing of their experiences with Josephine's wrath.

"Jefferson I want you to pay attention and listen to me please." he said in his strong serious manner. "I don't think I'm tellin' you anything new when I say we've had to do it tougher than usual this year."

He faltered when he saw Jefferson bite his lip and hang his head with guilt.

"Don't you go getting me all wrong son...I not blamin' you for any of it." he added hastily. "I'm just stating the facts."

To his mind came the previous winter and the new coat Josephine had needed and he couldn't afford, the birthday present he hadn't been able to give her, the fence he hadn't been able to rebuild.

"A man works his fingers to the bone all year tryin' to provide for his family and in the end has nothin' to show for it." he murmured discontentedly. "It just ain't right."

He fell into silence again mindful of what he knew he had to say. This was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do in his life.

"Before I go sayin' anything else, I just want you to know I'm real pleased and real proud you were intelligent enough to make it into College son." he said firmly.

Jefferson opened his mouth to thank him but before the words could be uttered Grant blindly continued.

"But son nice as it is for you and all I'm afraid it's like this …"

Silence again.

The crickets chirped.

The owl hooted.

The summer night languished on.

"Daddy." Jefferson said quietly.

"What Jeff?"

"Daddy you're trying to tell me we can't afford for me to go to College aren't you?"

Grant Tracy looked at his only son with a face laced with inadequacy and regret. He'd been right when he'd said Jefferson was no fool. Jefferson was every bit as astute as Josephine.

"I'm sorry son. I just don't have the money for you to fulfil your College aspirations." he said apologetically looking everywhere but at Jefferson. "I know if I borrowed some money from the Bank I could do it, but I'm just not prepared to get your Momma and me back in debt again."

His eyes glazed. "Not after what I had to do to get ourselves the hell out of it."

Jefferson turned away and said nothing. Even though he had only been a child when the struggle was at its worst he remembered all the sacrifices just as much as his Father did... the Christmases with nothing special ... the birthdays with a token gift... the vacations spent at home.

Grant remembered them too ... Christmas ... just another day to him as he toiled under the fierce midday sun ... Jefferson's birthday and a wide eyed little boy's face falling in disappointment when he only received the brand new toothbrush he so desperately needed... vacation time and a child with no option but to stay home and diligently attend to the chores.

But reality was reality.

Jefferson was a Tracy son and out here where money was hard to come by and times were tough reality was a way of life. College was out of the question and there didn't need to be any more discussion on the subject.

Grant watched as Jefferson silently overlooked the farm. One day the vast sprawling farmlands in front of them would all be his but with one very big and noticeable difference. Unlike his own dreadful experience with Walter Brown, Jefferson would inherit the farm free of debt, free of encumbrance and free of the dreadful feeling he'd lived with for fourteen long, miserable years. He didn't want Jefferson to struggle as he and Josephine had struggled or experience the stress of making huge payments absolutely on time. He wanted Jefferson to be the Tracy son who was remembered for bringing the fortunes of the Tracy family back from the brink of poverty to the richness of wealth and prosperity. He wanted Jefferson to have a better life than he'd had.

But it was obvious Jefferson had other ideas.

Jefferson, courtesy of his education, wanted something more.

Grant saw the boy swallow, twist his hands together and silently muster the courage to face him.

"Dad ..." he faltered. "… if I get myself a job and promise to pay my own way can I still go?"

Grant's stomach fell. He hadn't expected Jefferson to say that. Of course Jefferson could try to find the time to work as well as study in his chosen field of Engineering. He knew his son had Josephine's cast iron determination and had inherited every bit of her relentless drive to succeed. He also knew he'd make the sacrifices to do it.

So now it came down to the real truth of the matter and the cold hard fact Jefferson didn't need an Engineering degree to be a Farmer. But before Grant said his final piece he tried one last time to dissuade him.

"Don't be so ridiculous." he replied, trying his best not to growl. "Common sense should tell someone with your intelligence that you can't work a full-time job and study successfully too."

Jefferson shook his head and bravely disagreed.

"No Daddy ... I can Sir ... I will ... "

He swallowed as his Father's eyes darkened and bored straight through him.

"Please let me try Sir." he pleaded, ignoring the subtle warning. "I'll do whatever it takes to be a Flight Engineer."

Grant Tracy said nothing.

The crickets chirped.

The old owl hooted.

The Tracy son continued to implore his Father.

"Please Dad... I won't let you down, even if it's hard."

The silence was absolute.

The crickets chirped.

The old owl hooted.

"Dad …please ... Flight Engineering is all I wanna do in my life."

The Tracy Father rose to his feet with angry inadequacy and no longer in the mood to listen. Flight Engineer? What the hell was the attraction in being a Flight Engineer? Just a fancy name for an overpaid hot-shot Pilot. Jefferson didn't need to be a hot-shot anything. His future was already firmly laid out here.

Jefferson felt himself shrinking on the stairs as his Father fixed his eyes on him from the superiority of his six foot four height.

"Jefferson you're not hearing me. The answer is NO." he barked with his customary directness. "There's no money for extras and that means no College for you in the Fall."

It was clear from his dangerous tone Grant Tracy did not expect to be argued with any further. Jefferson recognised the warning immediately and after a few minutes of reflection on the consequences, pressed his lips together and gave his Father a respectful nod of his head.

"Yes Sir. Whatever you say." he murmured.

The crickets chirped.

The old owl hooted.

The silence was again absolute.

The voice of the Tracy Father sounded out again but this time it was less stern and much less dangerous.

"I know you're disappointed Jeff but take it from me; a College degree isn't everything. You're a very decent young man. People aren't going to think any less of you if you walk your journey through life as a farmer."

Jefferson didn't reply.

When he didn't Grant rose to his feet and moved towards the old screen door. He paused and looked back at his son as he watched the fullness of the moon with glassy, devastated eyes. He didn't know what else he could say.

"I'll be inside breaking the news to your Momma." were the only words that came out. "I hope you can see things my way by the time I see you in the morning."

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	7. Chapter 7 THE DESIRE TO BREAK FREE

_Author's Note – Nice to be back writing this little story. Thanks to those people who have indicated they want it to continue. Yours …mcj

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**FENCES AND FAMILIES**

**STORY TWO**

**CHAPTER ONE – THE DESIRE TO BREAK FREE**

_Picture a Fence – "A barrier to hold within"_

_Picture a Family – "A group of related individuals"_

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Wichita seemed chaotic to him, and even though he craved to experience the city way of life more than anything else in the world, he was going to be mighty glad today when he was heading out of town.

Cars crawled down the busy main streets, stopping, starting and vying for parking spaces. The odd taxi weaved in and out of the cars, only adding to the bedlam. The bus had reached a complete standstill and its passengers had started to disembark in disgust. The impatient blasting of car horns protesting at their meandering only made the frustration worse.

Tempers were flaring higher than the temperature.

In the centre of the mayhem, the old pick-up truck idled patiently in the traffic.

"Looks like the whole population's come out today," he commented, reaching forward to turn down the radio, "I don't think I've ever seen this many people in the one place at the same time Momma."

"Wichita's certainly been different place since the boom dear," she replied, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She sighed and wound down the window, shifting uncomfortably in the seat when her action failed to produce even the slightest hint of a breeze.

He nodded at her with understanding. "Sure is hot in here hey?" he sympathised.

"You got that right," she concurred as the beads of perspiration began to gather again on her forehead. "Times like these I wish I'd tried harder to convince your Father he needed air-conditioning."

The minutes laboured on and it was becoming clear the middle-aged Driver in the car behind them was fast losing patience with everyone. He revved the engine of his vehicle loudly and inched closer and closer to the fender of the truck. When the truck didn't move forward, he banged the steering wheel angrily with both hands, sounded his horn and swore.

"Move your rusty ass," he yelled, leaning out the window and cursing at the top of his lungs. "You shouldn't be drivin' a vehicle in the first place if you don't know how to handle yourself."

She frowned and turned around in her seat to give the Driver a frosty glare.

"Rude individual," she heard herself reply. "Someone oughtta get in that car with you right now and teach you how to mind your manners."

The revving stopped as the truck moved slowly forward.

"I can never figure out why everyone in these parts has to always be so God-damned anxious," she grumbled, turning back around and shaking her head in disgust. "Anyone would think the world was ending in Wichita and soon too the way some people fuss and carry on."

After a few minutes she craned her neck and tried to see what was going on up the street.

"Damned annoying though." she muttered. "I got a lot of things I need to do today."

Through her usually ordered mind tumbled the tasks she wanted to accomplish before the sun set down over Kansas ... the laundry ... the mending ... and if she didn't find time to give that stinking old dog of Grant's a bath she swore the flies would carry him away.

Her unique sense of humour surfaced and she found herself smiling from ear to ear at the thought of Grant's best friend, "Marty the Mongrel" being carried across the wheat fields by a swarm of buzzing flies.

The smile was short lived.

None of it was going to get done today if this traffic didn't move on soon and Grant, who was relentless in squeezing in as much as he possibly could in the space of a single day, wasn't going to be too happy with her if it didn't. He was unhappy enough Marvin Landers had invited her to come to Wichita in the first place without seeing all the usual chores slide because he had finally agreed she could go.

How could she forget _those_ conversations.

Grant had made such a fuss when "Doc Landers" as he was now affectionately known, asked her to come along to the opening of his brand new medical center in Wichita. To be known as "Josie's Solution", he made no secret of the fact he'd named it after her. He said it was in recognition of her forcefulness all those years ago in getting him to see the light and continue his education. Grant said he was only doing it to worm his way back into her affections. Doctor Landers had said without her he'd still be working as a general hand in the market. Grant said that was a load of high tailed hogwash. He didn't trust Marvin Landers any more than he did back when the two of them were dating andhe wasn't changing his mind.

It had been so hard not to laugh and accuse Grant Tracy of being jealous. Twenty years on, he still couldn't handle the fact that she and Marvin Landers had been "just two good friends".

With that she exhaled loudly and folded her arms.

She didn't know how Marvin Landers or anyone else lived or practiced here in Wichita. The heat was worse than anything she'd ever experienced. Dear God, how much longer were they going to wait in this slow moving line?

Her eyebrows drew together in a contemplative frown as she turn to watch her eighteen year son sitting calmly at the wheel of his Father's truck. Nothing seemed to bother Jeff. He was such a patient young man.

"You ever sat back and wondered what the hell the person up the front of one these things is actually doing with himself Jeff?"

Jeff Tracy felt the corners of his mouth twitch as he tried his utmost to keep a straight face. By the irritation in his Mother's tone he knew it wouldn't be much longer before she cracked. She had already pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes; not to mention the arms he'd watched her fold previously. None of it was a good sign in his experience.

"Can't say as I actually have Mom," came his careful but amused response."Guess they must be doing something."

She wiped the perspiration from her face again as her intolerance of the situation escalated.

"Probably some mindless fool dreaming about money or where to spend his fancy vacation." she grumbled. "I swear folks around here have no understanding of what we working people have to do."

She paused and added forcefully.

"Or the limited time we have to do it in."

Jeff glanced in the direction of the passenger's seat. It wasn't only her arms that were folded now. Her fingers were tapping too.

"Be fair now Mom." he warned is his pleasantly deep voice. "For all you know, the person up the front might have had the misfortune to have his car break down or something."

The revving of the engines started up again.

The tapping of the fingers escalated as she heard it.

"Mmmmm … misfortune … I'll give whoever it is misfortune all right."

He suddenly found himself holding his breath. His mother's mumble of disapproval always preceded an explosion and if it did, he knew more than anyone who was about to be in the firing line.

"Oh boy Mister" he breathed in dismay, looking through the mirror at the intolerant man behind him. "If you know what's good for you, please don't keep on at me with that horn."

"What are you doing son?" she demanded, noticing the silent movement of his lips. "You look like you're over there praying for a miracle to occur."

He reddened and shook his head. He certainly hoped she hadn't heard him.

"No ma'am" he said, feeling a little foolish. "Come to think of it though, maybe praying isn't such a bad idea."

Her eyes narrowed again as he gave her a cheeky, broad smile.

"You stop all your sarcasm and joking around right this minute young man. You know your Daddy told us in no uncertain terms that we're to go to this thing for Doc Landers, stay for the least amount of time possible and then have the timber for that fence back to the farm no later than mid-afternoon."

Then she made her point.

"And you also know what he's gonna have to say to both of us if it isn't."

Jeff nodded as he remembered the blunt and what terse instructions he'd received from his Father earlier that morning when he was handed the keys to the truck. He wasn't to waste time wandering around Wichita, unlike the last time he'd been asked to go there on an errand. He was to drive the three hours, go straight to the lumber yard, load up the material, and return his Mother home to him safely before she got herself into trouble.

But he hadn't factored in the possibility of the truck being involved in a traffic jam.

"Relax Momma." he shrugged, seemingly unworried about the delay. "Dad'll understand if we're a little late."

Josephine's expressive eyes widened.

"Oh is that what you think is it?" she queried, picturing a disapproving Grant pacing about in front of the farmhouse, hammer in hand, and impatiently looking at his watch. "Let me tell you right now Jefferson Tracy, your Daddy wants to start on that fence today and you oughtta know by now that when Daddy says he's doing something today ... he means he's doing it today."

It was now Jeff's turn to widen his eyes.

"Oh Momma ... no wonder you can never figure why everyone has to be so God-damned anxious," he joked, mimicking her earlier words. "You're too busy worrying about what Daddy's gonna say if you get home too late from your date with Doc Landers."

His jovial insolence quickly earned him a sharp and hearty slap on the arm.

"That's enough of your disrespect young man." she chided him. "Contrary to how he's been carrying on, Daddy's not the least bit worried about me seeing Doctor Landers again. He's more likely to start rantin' and ravin' about the timber for the fence being late than about anything to do with him."

With that, his smile soon changed to resignation. All jokes aside, his Father had been doing a lot of ranting lately, and most of it, he was sorry to say, had been directly aimed at him.

"Dad sure is touchy about everything at the moment." he commented glumly. "Not just about you and Mr. Landers."

Josephine frowned too. Jefferson was certainly right about that. Grant had been nothing short of insufferable for the past six weeks. He was acting so unlike himself lately, it was past the point of being painful. He seemed to find fault with everything, particularly everything Jefferson said and did. He admonished him over the slightest and most menial things. To make matters worse, he'd recently taken to storming off mid-sentence; sitting on the porch for hours afterwards, unwilling to converse with anybody.

"Amen to that statement." she agreed, picturing his latest explosion over Supper. "I'm starting to think your Daddy might be in serious need of a personality transplant or somethin'."

Jeff tried to put his Mother's observations out of his mind by concentrating on the traffic. He knew his Father didn't really mean to snap but irrespective, life on the Tracy farm lately had been just one unhappy incident after another.

Last week, his Father had given up on the rains coming and decided to plough in the back fields for yet another year. They'd never make a paying crop of the small amount still left. It was better to see it go.

Watching twelve months of back-breaking work disappear behind the wheels of a tractor was hard enough to bear, but after a day of intense heat and misery, his Father had rounded on him in aggravation and accused him of not doing a thorough job.

He'd tried to make up for things the next day by carefully baling what was left of the failed crop. His Father's reaction to that hadn't been any better than the ploughing. The bales weren't uniform enough ... he didn't stack them high enough ... the whole thing had taken him too long.

"What the hell's the matter with you at the moment Jefferson?" his Father had retorted. "You're supposed to be learning how to farm the land from me so you can make a decent living for yourself. How in the blazes can I teach you anything if you don't the hell want to learn?"

"Dad it's not that …" he had begun and then stopped himself abruptly before he said too much. For nearly a whole year he had shown nothing but the utmost respect for his Father's wishes by trying to embrace his love of what had been the lifeblood of the Tracy family for generations.

Farming.

And hating it.

He hated ploughing fields under the burning sun until his face was raw with sunburn and his shirt was drenched in sweat. He hated the thought of having to live at the mercy of the seasons every single day of the year. Above all he hated not being in College where he could be achieving the academic qualifications he needed to do something so much better with his life.

But he couldn't tell his Father that. At the moment, courtesy of his jealousy of Marvin Landers, his Father was even less tolerant of anyone who had any sort of College qualification.

"I'm sorry Sir." was all he could bring himself to say.

Sitting at the wheel of the truck, he heaved a huge sigh at the thought of his unhappy situation.

"Dad's really worried about things going wrong for us again this year Mom," he said, preparing to defend his Father. "The season didn't shape up any better than the last one I'm afraid."

Josephine's agreement was accompanied by a firm and thoughtful nodding of her head.

"Well that's true and your Father's got every reason to be worried about the seasons I suppose." she agreed. "But takin' it out on everyone and anyone who even looks sideways at him isn't gonna make it rain Jeff."

She looked up at the burning blue haze above them and shook her head.

"Or stop Doc Landers from calling."

Josephine couldn't help but grow sad when he failed to reply. He was such a polite, down-to-earth young man who never complained or had a bad thing to say about anyone, let alone his Father. She wished he didn't have to bear the brunt of Grant's jealousy and frustration. It wasn't his fault the rains weren't falling or Marvin Landers had done well for himself in the world.

"Daddy's not angry at you honey." she said gently, leaning over to squeeze his hand with hers. "He's just angry at his maker right now and having trouble trying to find the words to express himself."

Jeff accepted the reassurance gratefully.

"I know Mom. But something tells me he won't have any trouble expressing himself when I start trying to talk to him again about College."

Silence fell between them. Tonight, after returning from home from Wichita and starting work on the new fence, they had both agreed he should try to broach the subject of his Engineering degree again. Grant Tracy was always at his most amiable when he felt he was achieving something and replacing the front fence in front of the farmhouse had been high on his priority list for months.

"Oh Daddy'll express himself on College subject all right." she agreed with a familiar rolling of her eyes."That I can guarantee."

She saw the worry in his face and instantly regretted her pathetic attempt to joke.

"He'll let you go this time Jeff. " she assured him. "Daddy's a good man and he'd give you the opportunity to take on the whole damn world if he could."

"Sure hope so momma." Jeff shrugged, still only half believing her. "I've got to let Kansas State know if I'm taking the College place no later than one week's time from tomorrow."

Her back stiffened and jaw clenched as yet another blast from the car behind them almost deafened them both.

"Well the way it's going at the moment we'll still be sitting **_here_** one week from tomorrow Jefferson. **_And _**..." she added grabbing the handle on the door of the truck and wrenching open the door. "when it comes to this ass of a man who somehow professes to be a Gentleman, I'm gonna have absolutely no trouble finding the words to expressmyself right**_ now_**."

Josephine Tracy didn't get the opportunity to say her piece to the ignorant man in the car.

The screeching of brakes, the sickening crunch of metal and the sound of an eighteen year old's panic was all that echoed in her ears as their only form of transportation ploughed headlong into the rear of the car in front of them.

And she was plunged into unwelcome darkness.

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It hadn't been his fault, the Police Officer kept trying to tell him. The Driver in the car behind them had admitted to reckless driving and no other charges would be laid.

"But then again son ..." the short balding man with the officious voice continued. "It stands to reason of course, you shouldn't have been driving so close to the rear of the other car."

Jeff swallowed the lump in his throat as the Officer handed back his license. He'd never had to be interviewed by the law before and he hadn't enjoyed the experience. Not only that, it was obvious he wouldn't be going anywhere in his Father's truck in too much of a hurry either. The truck would need repairs to the radiator before it would be capable of making the journey back to Chase County. Repairs took time and repairs cost money. There was no way he'd be bringing home the timber for the new fence now.

He swallowed again.

His Father was already furious enough about the accident without being told that too.

After being informed his precious Josephine had been taken by ambulance to the hospital, Grant Tracy was on his way to Wichita. Jeff Tracy swallowed a third time. He could only begin to imagine what was going to be said to him when he got there.

He watched in trepidation as the second of the two tow trucks arrived on the scene and began to hook up the truck.

"You in a position to pay cash for this son?" the driver's assistant demanded, striding forward with authority and brandishing a wad of paper. "We don't take no cheques in this business."

Jeff reached into his wallet and thumbed the money his Father had given him for the fence. It was hard not to feel sick at the thought of having to use it.

"Yes Sir." he choked, "I got the cash."

"OK then." the assistant nodded. "You got yourself a deal. Sign here please."

Once the paperwork was finished and the truck disappeared from view, he looked about his surroundings and tried not to feel awkward. He didn't know which way to go to find the hospital where his Mother had been taken. It took an approach to several pedestrians before he found one who was prepared to give him directions.

"You're not from around these parts are you?" the pleasant, casually dressed man observed.

Jeff Tracy looked puzzled, wondering exactly what he meant.

"Sunburnt you see." the man elaborated with a friendly indication of his head. "Looks to me like you're a farmer."

Jeff reddened. No-one had ever been referred to him as a Farmer before. As far as he was concerned it was his Father who was the Farmer, not him. The observations of a complete stranger had starkly pointed out his reality. Whether he liked the inference or not, a Farmer was what he was.

"Yes Sir I suppose I am." he admitted with a shrug.

The man smiled and said he'd thought as much. If his sunburn didn't give him away, his big strong shoulders certainly did... that and the fact he didn't appear comfortable standing alone on a sidewalk in Wichita.

"I'm very sorry to hear about the injuries to your Mother son." he replied when Jeff went on to explain. "Ever since the boom in Wichita last year, it's been more than obvious to everyone the population's outgrown the facilities."

"People aren't exactly patient when getting from A to B around here either." he observed watching another near miss in the traffic close by.

"No Sir." Jeff agreed, thoughts of the accident tumbling in a kind of slow motion from one end of his head to the other. "Guess I'm pretty lucky Momma escaped with only a broken arm and more than her fair share of bruising."

The mention of his Mother gave him an urgent reminder that he needed to get to the hospital. He knew he'd better be there when his disgruntled Father arrived. The man in front of him smiled again, sensing his concern, and offered to give him a ride.

Jeff Tracy gratefully accepted the kindness of the friendly, middle-aged stranger. There was something about his quiet confidence he liked and it was hard not to be captivated when the twenty minute journey turned out to be an inspiring diversion from his mundane world of Kansas wheat fields and droughts.

He was Captain Raymond Jones of the United States Air Force. Well at least that was who he used to be until three years ago when he retired from the military and made his way to Wichita. Wichita was where the money was, even for a well worn old Air Force pilot with no other qualifications. These days he made his living in the charter business and was happy to call Wichita home.

Jeff's eyes grew round.

"You were a Captain in the Air Force Sir?" he breathed in admiration. "That must been just wonderful."

Sensing the young man was genuinely interested in what he had to say Raymond Jones smiled and went on to elaborate. Yes he had been a Captain in the Air Force and had flown more than his fair share of fighter jets. He had also been selected to fly in the squadron of Red Flag, the elite group of the best pilots the Air Force had to offer.

"Wow Sir …" Jeff gazed at him in awe. "You really must have been good."

Ray happily enjoyed the opportunity to relive his special memories. He didn't know about being good but he had thoroughly enjoyed his time in the Air Force that was for sure… twenty four years of it had to be a testimony to that.

But above all he'd loved every single minute he'd spent flying in the squadron of Red Flag.

"Nothing on this earth is more exhilarating than flying in the centre of a top notch squadron son." he told the fascinated Jeff Tracy. "It awakens every sense a man has."

He winked.

"Not too many things can do that let me assure you."

Jeff failed to pick up on the pointed inference and continued to listen to him enthralled. Ray Jones made flying sound so wonderful. Before long the prism where he quietly hid his enthusiasm for flight from his Father slowly began to open up and by the time they reached the hospital he had found the courage to not only admit to his own dream of wanting to fly but also to flying the fastest jets in the world.

"I look up at the planes which fly over our farm Mr. Jones and every time I see one all I want to do is be up there too. Seeing what the Pilot sees … feeling the sensations of surge and speed... holding your life in your very own hands... "

Jeff shrugged.

"Guess all that sounds pretty foolish to you Mr Jones, I mean, coming from someone who's never even taken a plane ride."

Ray Jones shook his head. No it wasn't foolish. In fact, flying aircraft was exactly how he was imagining it to be. But he still preferred the rush of the fighter jets. Fighter jets really taught a man how to fly. There was nothing like the dog-fights he had experienced up there in mid-air … taking the risks ... flying with one aim only ... and that was to take the other guy out. The rush from something like that could ever be described. You had to live the experience.

A young Jefferson Tracy nodded as the car pulled into the kerb and Raymond Jones said his final goodbyes. He didn't know what but Raymond Jones had suddenly stirred something that had long burned within him.

He saw himself in the skies.

In an Air Force fighter jet.

He was going to fly.

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_Author's clarification - Those who don't know who Marvin Landers is need to refer to the pages of Story One where, much to Grant Tracy's dismay, he carried a torch for the beautiful Josephene Brown.

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